Rebuilding a Promise
by Kywardbbyx21
Summary: While Edward is away in New Moon,Bella gets raped and impregnated.She turns courageous, and decides to keep her baby. What happens when the Cullen's return to her and find her with a child? PLEASE READ! :
1. My Evan

**Hello World. Although this is NOT my first fanfiction, this is my first story involving Edward and Bella. (On my other account, I have stories revolving around Renesmee and Jacob. Ask for the link if you want it). For this particular fanfic, I do have a beta I guess you could say. She doesn't have an account on here, but she is quite amazing. The title for this story was thought of by my beta, and changed a little bit by me, but Thank You Kathleen for the help (:. **

**Just a little summary here: The story takes place during New Moon, while Edward is away. As Bella tries to deal with her depression and sorrow, something terrible happens to her… She is raped. No matter what alternative she looks to, she just can't give her baby away. Bella keeps her child, and names him Evan. One day, when Evan is supposed to have a doctor's appointment, he gets re-scheduled with an unexpected doctor… and old friend… **

**Please read and review. If you review my story, I will always take the time to read and review yours, ALWAYS. It is common courtesy(:. I like reviews because they let me know if you guys like the story, and what path you want future chapters to follow. Thank you for your time (:**

"Mommy where are we goin?" Evan asked me as I slipped his left shoe on and began to tie it.

I laced up the strings and patted his little foot lovingly. "Well Turtle, we are going to visit your Grandpa Charlie, and then after that, you have a doctor's appointment."

The look on his face when I said 'Grandpa' went from delighted to fearful when I spoke of the doctors.

"It's alright, it is just a checkup. No needles, I promise." I smiled to my son and held out my pinky for him. Just as I knew he would, Evan grasped his miniscule pinky to mine and we shook.

I stood up, put on my own shoes, and tried to assist Evan in putting his coat on. As soon as I had one hand on the sleeve, he pulled away and looked at me as if I had done something wrong.

"No Mommy, I'm a big boy. I do it myself." His beautiful brown eyes twinkled as he whirled around trying to find the hole in which his arm would go through. Although Evan had inherited my eye color, his eyes always seemed magnificent when compared to mine.

I reached my hand out to help him again, already knowing that he wouldn't want my assistance. When my son wanted to try something, he was very stubborn, much like his mother. Not being able to help Evan with such a small activity almost pained me. He was struggling, and even if it was something as unimportant as putting on a jacket, I yearned to give him a hand.

"Evan really, it is okay to ask for help sometimes." I tried to tell him.

He shook his head, and ignored my attempt to help. While he was spinning around trying to find the other arm hole, his little tongue was sticking out in frustration. He was so stubborn, much like myself.

Finally he had located it, and successfully put his jacket on by himself, for the very first time. Seeing my little boy doing things independently made me more proud than you could ever imagine. He was getting so big; it was as if just yesterday I was bringing him home from the hospital. His little blue blanket, his stuffed wolf that sat peacefully in his car seat with him…

* * *

As I drove to my father's house, Evan sat in the back of my car and played with his miniature toy cars, occasionally making engine noises or crashing the cars together and giggling. I adjusted my rearview mirror so that I could see his little body perfectly. I looked in the reflection and watched as he smiled and enjoyed playing quietly. Something must have caused him to realize I was staring because he looked up at me and gasped.

"Mommy, can I ask you somefing?" He sighed and looked like something was troubling him.

Automatically I nodded. "Sure baby. What is it?"

"Why do you call me Turtle? It's not my name."

I laughed at myself. At first I thought something was wrong with Evan, and I was ready to pull the car over to comfort him, when in reality, he was just questioning me about his nickname. "I call you turtle because you remind me of a turtle sweetheart."

He cocked his head to the side. "But turtles are aminals Mommy. I'm a big boy."

"Of course I know that you are not an animal, but… hmm, I don't know the right words to say this." I thought of how I could put my thoughts into something that Evan could comprehend quickly. "Turtles are rather slow, but they are very smart and strong, just like you. When you don't know how to do something, I can tell that you look at the small things. Just like this morning baby, when you were putting on your jacket. It took you a while, but you did it because you are very smart." I smiled at him. He seemed happy with this. "Also, you are very strong. Not only with your brand new muscles, but you are Mommy's big boy."

"Big boys pwotect stuff. Mommy needs pwotecting. I will always pwotect you."

I started to stammer with my words. "Wh-what do you mean mommy ne-needs protecting, Turtle?" I had heard those lines before. People say they will always be there for you, and in reality, they leave you when you are the most vulnerable…

Evan grumbled as he did when I frustrate him. "I don't want fings to hurt you cause I love you. I don't like it when you are sad, Mommy."

My jaw dropped, and I had a longing to stop the car, and reach in the backseat just to embrace my son. All along, I knew Evan was smart, and of course I knew he loved me, but never did I imagine that he could comprehend what it felt like to want to keep someone safe. That little boy in the back seat with the brown eyes, and big heart was the best thing that had ever, and could ever happen to me. Words cannot even begin to explain the way it feels to a mother when her baby tells her they love her.

"Have I told you I loved you today?" I whispered, my smile shining through.

Evan nodded. "Yes."

"Well, I'm going to say it again. I love you very, very, very, much. More than anything in thewhole world." I told him and made a right turn onto the road that would lead us to Charlie's. "Don't you ever forget that Mommy loves you, alright? Promise?"

"That's a lot, Mommy." He looked amazed. "But I pwomise."

"Good." I told him and we both went back to what we were doing before our little moment. Turtle went back to playing with his matchbox cars, and I, although driving, continued to think. Evan and I always talked together, no matter where we were. A lot of the time, it was just he and I alone unless we were visiting friends or Charlie. Our apartment was perfect for the two of us, but I know how he enjoys it when we have company over. "Would you like me to turn some music on, sweetheart?"

He nodded and I flicked my hand to the radio. The sound of Evan's sing-along CD's filled the car, and he bobbed his little head to the beat and made me smile yet again. He never ceases to fulfill me with happiness. Although I still suffer with the occasional sorrow of my past, Evan brightens my days. Even if there is always going to be a raincloud in the sky…

We got to Charlie's short after, and as soon as I unbuckled Evan from his seat, he sprinted to the door that was currently being flung open by my Dad. He crouched down and scooped my son into his arms. I grabbed my purse from the front seat and made my way to the house. Charlie gave me a one-armed hug, as Evan was in the other arm. We were ushered inside, and I took a seat at the table.

He was already babbling to his Grandfather by the time I was seated.

"When are we goin fishin?" He asked. Charlie and Evan usually went fishing on Sundays, but lately it has been too muddy for him to go out.

Charlie laughed. "We can go whenever you're Mommy let's you. But right now it is too icky, and all the fishies are hiding."

"Well where are they hiding at?" Evan cocked his head to the side. "Are they scared?"

"Yeah buddy. They know how well you can fish, and they are nervous." Charlie poked Evan gently in the chest. "You're my little fishing champion aren't you?"

"Uh-huh!" He clapped. "I love fishin wif you."

Charlie came in the dining room with Evan, and whispered "Why don't you go watch some TV, while Mommy and I talk, okay Buddy?"

Evan put his finger to his lip as if he were thinking. "Okay, but can I have some juice first?"

I started to get up from the chair I was sitting in, but Charlie put his hand in front of me.

"I got this one Bells." He whispered. I started to protest, but before I could get a word out, he was already on his way to the refrigerator. Charlie opened the door, and reached in shortly before pulling out a juice pouch. He poked the straw in through the correct hole, and handed the juice to Evan. "There you go kiddo, ready now?"

He nodded, and ran into the living room. The television already had cartoons on, and he sat quietly on the couch.

"So, Bells, how is everything? Haven't seen you since Thursday, and it is already Monday. You can't keep the little squirt away from me." He chuckled. Dad and Evan had a very close relationship; Charlie was practically wrapped around his little fingers. The whole world knew that the two of them were inseparable. It surprised me how loving, and open Charlie was with Evan.

I sighed. "I'm good. Evan has a check-up after this. I know he is afraid though, the little thing hates the doctor's office almost as much as I do."

"You did too when you were his age, Bella." Charlie told me. "Course, you were there so often with all the times you fell down, you would think you would have gotten used to it. I still don't know why Renee took you there so much, you would have been okay. Some things can be fixed with a band-aid and a kiss. I hope you aren't hovering over Evan the way Renee did with you." He grumbled.

"Dad, it is a Mom thing. I worry about him all the time. Every scrape and each tummy-ache he gets sends me over the age." I giggled.

"Damn worry wart." He laughed sarcastically. "Naw, I'm just kidding with you. You are a great Mom, even if you do worry too much."

I put my finger to my lips. "Shhh. I don't want Turtle talking like that." I joked, even if there was some truth behind it. I didn't want my son having a potty mouth, but 'damn' wasn't necessarily a terrible word.

Charlie laughed while he put his hand on mine, and looked me in the eyes. "You look happy, kid… How are you doing? _Really?"_

I knew exactly what he was implying the moment he said it. He may have just asked how I was doing, but Charlie wanted to know how I was. Mentally. Ever since… ever since Edward left, I was in a depression. It took forever for me to be able to even speak his name, and even now I have problems with it. I wouldn't eat, couldn't sleep, and never spoke to anyone unless I was asked a direct question. Jake helped with that a little, and things were... steady for about a month before tragedy struck me again. I was walking to my car from the grocery store one night when a man came up behind me, attacked me, and took me to a secluded area. Once there, something happened to me that I thought would never occur in a million years. I was raped, beaten, and left to die. I struggled, and had tried to escape but there was no point. Every time I squirmed or whimpered, or even cried out in pain, I was brutally hurt or threatened with my life. Eventually I just lied still and let the man do his worst. The tears didn't stop, but my heart kept beating. Thankfully I got away, and home to tell Charlie. He got me help with the hospital, and alerted a doctor. They performed a rape kit on me, but even still the damage was already done. Throughout all my struggles, my attacker managed to impregnate me.

At first, I didn't know what to do, I thought of abortion, but backed down. I couldn't kill my baby, even if it was not my idea or choice for this. Adoption was my second option, but as my pregnancy progressed, I became attached to the mysterious little being inside of me. That very first kick had me addicted to him. Ever since I felt him move inside of me, he was mine. He always was mine, and he always will be mine. He was my Turtle.

Luckily, my attacker was found dead about a month or two after the rape took place. They found him in the woods, with drugs on hand. He died of an overdose, and no matter how wrong it sounded, I'm glad. I hope he suffered a long, painful, and agonizing death. I hope it was slow and unbearable. The life he set not only me, but my baby, up for is something that will never be undone. Poor Evan will have to grow up without a father, due to some criminal's cruelness. Even if he wouldn't have a father, my son would have everyone he would ever need. He _of course_ would _always_ have me, Charlie, 'Uncle Jake' as Evan liked to call him, the rest of the wolves, and even Renee when we went to visit her, which wasn't often. Some of my good friends from school such as Angela are also still close with me, but with the busy schedule I have, I don't really have time for friends. All of my time is either at work, or spent raising my son.

Shortly after I brought him home to Charlie's house, I got a new, higher paying job at the local mall. I was the manager of the _Carter's _toddler apparel store. Although it was very different from my normal interest, the pay was great, and soon after starting, I had raised enough money for Evan and I to move into our own apartment. Living with Charlie was fine with me, but he didn't deserve to have to wake up to a baby crying each night; It just wasn't fair. The apartment was two bedrooms, two baths, and had a nice balcony with enough room for Evan to have a mini sandbox. I try to keep his life as normal as possible, so even the smallest things such as a sandbox or a popular action figure are at reach for him.

One of the men Charlie worked with also co-owned a car dealership, so I got a great deal on a Honda Civic Sedan. My truck was wonderful, but with a new child, I needed to get something safer, and more smooth-running. As I was still in school when I gave birth, Charlie helped tremendously with watching him so that I could continue to attend school. I graduated, and although I plan on going to college in the future, right now my full focus is on Evan. Getting him prepared for preschool soon, and just being a good mother to him.

Of all the terrible and horrid things that happened to me before, Evan's perfectness surpasses them all. He is the light of my life, and only true reason I get up in the mornings and carry on with daily activities. I may still cry at night sometimes, and I may have off days where I just want to curl and a ball and sob, but that little boy needs his mommy, and that is what I will always give him.

I was brought out of my mini coma to the sound of my dad's voice. He sounded concerned.

"Bells?" Charlie said softer, almost a whisper. "Did I say something wrong?"

I shook my head. "Sorry Dad, I was just thinking. Uhm, I'm sorry, yeah. I'm doing… alright."

"Are you eating enough? Sleeping enough? You look good Bells." He patted my hand. "Even better than the last time I saw the two of you."

"Yeah, I eat fine. And I sleep whenever, but that is how it always was." I glanced back over to the couch at Evan. He was watching _Mickey Mouse Club House_, answering the questions the characters asked.

Charlie followed my gaze, and smiled with me. "I'm so proud of you, you know that? At first, I didn't know if you could do it, kid, but you proved your old man wrong. You are the best mother that little boy could ask for. He is lucky he has you Bells."

I could feel myself starting to blush. "Erm, thanks Dad. He means everything to me."

"Are you still having nightmares?" He asked.

"That depends. Which subject are we talking about?" I swallowed hard.

Charlie looked down and sighed. "Well, first, the… the rape. Are you still waking up in the middle of the night screaming?"

I shook my head. "No. I still cry occasionally but I never wake up in the middle of the night anymore."

"That's good, Bella. I know how hard that is for you to fathom, and I know that no matter what counseling you went through, or how much you have accepted it, it is always going to be in the back of your mind. But baby, he is gone. He died, and he is never coming back. You and Evan are safe, I promise."

"I know Dad, but there are so many freaks out there. You never know who could be the one to snap, and do something horrible." My breath was shaky. "And about the other question, yes. I still have nightmares about… about Edward."

He looked like he could cry. "Honey, it has been over three years. You are turning twenty one soon, I Know this is hard but maybe it is time to move on. He isn't coming back Bella…"

That hurt. That hurt worse than some of the worst physical pain I have endured. Hearing my father, on the verge of tears telling me to move on from the only man I have ever loved was truly pathetic.

"I can't Dad. I won't let go of him yet, and there is no way that I am looking for another man. Evan doesn't need it, and neither do I. I'm just not strong enough…" I asserted myself. Ever since Evan was born, I was more open to Charlie about my true feelings. One of the secrets revealed was how I felt about the Cullen's disappearance. Even still, I could never explain to him how much I loved Edward Cullen. There were no words to tell exactly how deep my feelings for him were.

Just then, a very excited Evan was running towards me. "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy! Guess what Mommy!"

"What honey?" I opened my arms for him, and he hopped up into my lap. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed his head. I breathed in his scent; He smelt like innocence.

He smiled sweetly. "I have an idea, Mommy."

"Okay, what is your idea?"

"Can Uncle Jake come wif me to the dockers?" Evan looked at me with the face that could make me melt.

"Would you like that?" I asked him quizzically, already knowing the answer. Jake was Evans best friend, no doubt about it.

Evan nodded his little head very quickly. "Yes!"

I smiled, and reached for my cell phone. After dialing Jacob's number, I put the phone to my ear and waited for him to pick up.

"_Bella?"_

"Hey Jake, yeah it's me. So listen, Turtle has an appointment today with Dr. Barb, in about an hour, and he is requesting you tag along. You in? I could pick you up in about forty-five minutes if that's cool."

I could hear him rustling through clothes in the background. _"Sure, sure. Just let me get a shirt on, and grab some shoes, and I'll be rea- Hey! Scratch that .Can you come right now? I have a surprise here for the little man. I was gonna wait until his birthday to give it to him, but I just don't have the will power."_

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "Jake his birthday is in less than three weeks. You can't wait that long….?"

"_June 20 is a long way away Bella_." He joked with me. "_Anyways, can you come over?"_

"Ugh, yes, fine, fine, fine. We will be there in ten, alright?" I told him. "Bye Jake."

Before he could say anything else, I hung up, and looked back to Charlie. He was thumb-wrestling with Evan. Ever since he was born; Charlie had been so much more fun-loving, and childish. It was actually kind of cute.

"Sorry Dad, Jake wants us to come over now, because he has some sort of surprise for Evan." I sat up from the chair, and pushed it back under the table.

Charlie waved his hand in the air. "No problem at all. I need to go in to the station soon anyways. There was a robbery at the local bank yesterday, and we are still trying to figure everything out. Don't worry though; I'm sure it is just some teenage yahoo, trying to be big and bad."

"Oh, okay, good. It will give you something to do. Here honey, time to get your sneakers on." For the second time today, I helped Evan put his shoes on, while he slid his jacket over his shoulders all by himself. He truly was growing up. It is hard to believe he would be three in a couple weeks!

We said Goodbye to Charlie, and I began to drive to Jake's house. Evan fell asleep on the way there, each time I would look back at him, his head would be lying on the side of his car seat while his mouth was slightly open, allowing me to hear the calming sound of his shallow breaths. His beautiful eyelashes were sprawled under his eyes, and his dark hair shined upon his pale baby-face.

With him in his peaceful slumber, I was left alone to my thoughts. What I had told Jacob on the phone earlier was still ringing freshly in my mind. Evan's birthday was swiftly approaching, as June 20 rolled closer.

June 20, _June 20_, the 20th of June, the 20th day in the sixth month of every year, no matter what way I think of it, it was Evan's third birthday. And Edward's 112th….

I was completely aware that Evan shared his birth date with… Edward. Whether it be sheer coincidence, or true fate, I wouldn't have it any other way. I was planning on doing another party at La Push, just as we did last year, but maybe he would want it somewhere different. He _was_ turning four after all; perhaps he would want to have it at a roller skating rink, or a bowling alley. Maybe even one of those bouncy play areas, who knows. I'll be sure to ask him when I'm sending out invitations.

By this time, I was sitting in Jake's driveway, and I- as quietly as I could- pulled the keys out of the slot, and turned the car off. I took a deep breath, almost half afraid of what Jacob conjured up for Evan. Hopefully he would have the sanity not to build some sort of motorbike, or a miniature four-wheeler or something, but this was Jacob we are talking about. Who knows what kind of contraption lied ahead…

I unbuckled my seatbelt and swiftly got out of the car, as I opened the back door on Evan's side. Moving my fingers, I unattached the safety straps of his child seat, and slid my hands under his arms. I easily glided him into my arms, and I felt him stir in his sleep.

"Shhh. It's just Mommy, we're at Uncle Jake's house, sweetheart." I whispered to him in an act to sooth him.

His eyelids fluttered. "Uncle Jake? Do I have to wake up?" Evan said groggily, as a yawn passed his lips.

"No baby, go back to sleep, I will wake you up when it's time." I cupped my palm over the back of his head, and he placed his face in the crook of my neck. I could feel his breath on my skin, and for some odd reason, it made me happy.

He yawned again, and Jacob ran out of the house, and up to me. He extended his arms, and looked at me.

"Want me to take him? I know he is getting heavy." Jake chuckled.

I shrugged, and continued to walk towards the door. Truly, I loved that Jacob was trying to be helpful, but there are some things that I actually _enjoy_ doing. Carrying my son was one of them. He wouldn't be little for much longer, and I wanted to savor the feeling of him needing me. From the very day of Evan's birth, Jacob was ready and willing to do whatever I needed of him. Whether it be running to the grocery store for me while I watch Evan, or _him_ watching Evan while I did errands. He really was my best friend, and maybe Evan's too.

"Nah, I got him. Thanks for offering though." I smiled to him, and tried to juggle the door open without waking Evan.

"I got it Bells." Jake reached his hand out, and easily opened the front door. "Don't try to be Superwoman. It is okay to ask for help sometimes Bella… With anything. I'm always here."

As he said that, his face was so close to mine. His eyes piercing mine, his heat radiating into me…

I didn't say anything, because although I knew it was true, I liked being the one who did everything for Evan. He was my baby; therefore shouldn't I be the only person taking care of him? Maybe I was being territorial, but I didn't care. Evan was my son.

"Did you hear me?" Jake said.

Without speaking or even looking towards him, I nodded, and walked into the living room. I placed Evan gently on the couch, and without even asking, Jacob placed a blanket over him, and fitted a pillow beneath his delicate head. I turned back to look at Jake, and he grabbed my arm, lifted it up, and felt my muscle.

"Woo! Looky here, it's the international body building champion, herself! Since when did you get muscles Bella? You're like a she-Hulk."

I retracted my arm, and giggled. "Well, carrying Evan around kind of bulks me up, but Jake, I'm still wimpy. He weighs 31 pounds already. He's Mommy's big boy." I stroked Evan's cheek.

"So why is he going to the doctor's again?"

"Just for a checkup. Nothing is wrong with him, thank God, but he is a little boy. Little boys go for checkups." I laughed.

Jake scrunched his nose. "Sam was right. You women are so protective when it comes to your babies."

"Obviously Jake." I rolled my eyes. "Think of it this way: I'm a ferocious lioness, and Evan is my cub. If someone or something gets too close, don't think I won't pounce, and attack. It is my top priority to protect him, and annihilate anything that comes in harm's way. It is just the job of a mother."

He looked like he was zoning out. "So uhm… _anything_ that may seem even a _little_ bit dangerous, you won't let him do?"

I knew where this was leading; the second Jacob brought it up. "Alright Jake, what is it? What did you buy, or build, or, or... whatever, that could be potentially dangerous? Tell me. Now."

Jacob put his hands in front of him, as if it were an act of self defense. "Well Bells, keep in mind that I already tested this out with Seth, and everything went fine. So really, there is nothing to worry about. AND he could wear a helmet!"

"Jacob! Stop babbling and just tell me what it is."

"How about I show you? It's out in the garage right now."

The garage. That can't be good. "Fine, I'll stay in here. Go get it and bring it inside." He hesitated, and I sighed very loudly. "It can't fit inside the house, can it, Jacob?" I spat.

"No. Not exactly, but I'll wheel it to the window, and you can look out, alright? You both are going to love it, Bella. I just know it."

Without a solid 'yes' from me, Jacob was already sprinting outside. I looked back over to Evan, to make sure he wasn't close to the edge of the couch or anything. Just as he was before, he was still peacefully sleeping, but he has his thumb in his mouth. I hurriedly got out my cell phone, and took a picture of him. It was perfect, and I set it as the background.

I glanced back to the window, and I didn't see Jake, so I guess he was in the garage, pulling out whatever it was that had him so excited.

"You have one crazy Uncle Jake, Evan." I whispered, even though I knew he wouldn't be able to hear me. "He is a great guy…"

Right then, I hear a tap on the window, and I turned around. What I saw could have made me faint, or scream. I think I will go with the second one.

"NO! No way Jacob, not in a billion years! Are you _crazy!_" I shouted, and threw my arms in the air.

My eyes were set on a motorbike. Jake's motorbike to be exact. It looked exactly the same as it had before, except now, there was a riding buggy attached to the side of it. A buggy of perfect size for a little riding buddy…

Jacob shuffled back inside and had a smirk on his face. "Come on Bella, why not?"

My mouth let out little, unintelligible sounds as a gaggled around for the right words. "Well, Jake, seeing as you have lost your damn mind, I'll explain to you just why not. HE IS A LITTLE BOY! IT ISNT SAFE, AND THERE IS NO WAY THAT I AM LETTING HIM RIDE IN THAT WITH YOU!"

"What if you sit in there with him, and you both wear helmets, and elbow pads, and knee pads, and uhm, I don't know, butt pads too? Please, just let him try it at least once. It took forever to find."

I grumbled. "Whatever, if I find any way for it to be safe and only if I ride with him, he _might_ be allowed to ride in it. Once." I added.

Jacob breathed a breath of relief. "Sweet! So can I wake him up and show him, or what?"

I bit my lip. "Actually, we should probably get going. I want to get there early so that I can ask his doctor about pre-schools."

"Damnit. I guess I can show it to him later then, right?" He asked.

"Yep, sure." I lied. "Of course Jake."

* * *

Jacob, Evan, and I were sitting patiently in the waiting room at the Pediatrician's office. Jacob was reading a magazine about cars, with pictures of girls in bikinis plastered everywhere, Evan was playing with a puzzle that I brought for him, and I was sitting still, worrying about how many germs my son was breathing in.

A small, red-head with a tweety bird smock on walked into the waiting room, and looked at her clipboard.

"Evan Swan? You're ready to be seen Evan Swan."

The three of us stood up quietly, and I took Evan's hand, as Jacob took his other. We all walked over to the small girl, and she walked us back a couple hallways that had pictures of children everywhere. There were posters about eating healthy and exercising with popular cartoon characters smiling brightly. She showed us to a room that was completely covered in sports décor- perfect for a little boy. It looked just like Evan's room back home.

"Have a seat here little buddy." The woman gestured for Evan to sit on a padded table. Without me asking, Jake lifted him up and stood beside him. I smiled to myself. The red-head looked back down to her papers, and bit her lip. "Mrs. Swan, it says here that you came today to see Dr. Barb, but she had to leave early due to a family death. We are very sorry. You can either re-schedule or one of our other doctor's would be more than happy to see your son."

We were already here, so why re-schedule? "Oh, that is more than okay. Seeing another doctor would be just fine." I spoke politely and added a smile.

"Great! Doctor C. will be right with you!" She shook mine, and Jacob's hands, and then left before she gently closed the door.

Not a single second passed before there were two knocks on the door. I said 'come in' and the door swiftly opens to reveal someone I thought I would never have the pleasure of seeing again.

"Hello, my name is Dr. Carlisle Cullen. What seems to be the… Bella? Bella is that _you?_"

**Chapter one is finished, now, please, Reviewwwwww (: I would love to know what you are thinking. **


	2. Rain

**Sorry it took so long to post this, I had it typed, but I accidently forgot it, so I had to type it AGAIN. Blah, yeah I was pretty mad. Lol. Anyways, here is chapter two. Please reviewwww! (: - Kywardbbyx21**

"Bella, is that _really_ you?" Carlisle asked again.

My mouth just couldn't form the correct words. How did he get here? Why was he back? Were they _all_ back? Did… Did Edward return?

"Uh, erm, yeah. It's me Carlisle, Bella Swan." I spoke softly. Jacob was beside me, quivering with anger. I looked toward him, and put my hand on his chest. "Jake, calm down. Better yet, go out to the car" I tried to hand him my keys, but he just he had both his hands securely wrapped by his sides. I could tell that if he didn't get out of here soon, things would get ugly. "Jacob, go. Phase, or go sit in the car, whatever, I don't care. Just please, Jake, calm down. I don't want Evan seeing you like this…" I knew that if I mentioned Evan, he would comply with me. He growled, and huffed before he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him, and cursing the whole way there. I covered Evan's ears in an act to keep him from hearing what Jacob was grunting.

Carlisle stepped closer to me, and exchanged glances between myself and Evan. "There is so much I would love to speak with you about Bella, such as how you have been, but there is something else I think I must get to the bottom of first. I notice that you have brought a young boy with you, probably around the age of two or three. In looking at the charts I was given, his last name is 'Swan'. I didn't know that you had a younger brother, Bella. In fact, I still had no idea that you had more family up here, other than Charlie. How did this happen?"

"Oh, he's not my little brother." I said immediately. I let that set in for Carlisle, and although he was smarter than any man I knew, I don't think he quite understood. "Carlisle, I uhm, I really don't know how to say this, but… Evan is my son."

"Your wh-what? S-s-son?" He stammered. I can understand why this was hard for him to comprehend. When he left me, I was still infatuated with his son, hell, I still am. He must think that I, Bella Swan-innocent little girl- had sex willingly with another boy. He was more than wrong… "How Bella? _Why_?"

Although I had only the utmost respect for Carlisle, I had gone through this story so many times that it honestly was a hassle for me to explain it, any more. I'm not going to beg for pity, and I wasn't looking for a reward; Maybe if I just said it in the simplest way I knew, it would be quicker and more efficient.

"Look, it isn't what you think. I didn't plan on having a baby that young. I didn't plan on…" I looked to my innocent little boy and back to Carlisle "engaging in _physical activities_ then either. I was" I took a deep breath, and prepared myself for his reaction "forced into doing that. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever think of doing this willingly, certainly not with the condition I was in. I was suffering with.. depression. I had no time to think of anything else, to be honest. When I found out I was pregnant, well… I looked to alternatives. Terminating the pregnancy or adoption being the first two, but then, as soon as I felt him move for the first time, I was hooked. He was _my_ little baby, no matter how he got inside of me. Whether he was planned or not, he was a part of me then, and there was nothing in this world that could make me part with him." I felt my blush starting to thrive.

He walked up to me and stared into my eyes. Slowly and gently, his hand reached for me, but right before I could feel the temperature change, I leaned back. His touch would bring everything back. That same touch was the last thing I felt from his family: coldness. Carlisle frowned, and something inside told me that I needed to trust him. His family may have hurt me emotionally, but this was Carlisle. He was real, and he was standing in front of me once again. The thing I was turning away from, is the one thing I have been dreaming of since the disappearance… a sign that it truly happened. A way for me to know that the pain I endured had a reason behind it. Edward and the rest of the Cullen's were once in my life. I knew it, now I just needed to believe it. I moved forward again, silently giving him permission to follow through with his intentions. Carlisle looked to me once more before I nodded, and put his hand under my chin. At first I wanted to cry… I missed it more than anything. Part of me wanted to jerk away from his touch before I got too connected with it, but in reality the only thing I could bear to do was to nuzzle closer to it; savor the feeling before it would leave me yet again. "Strong. So very strong. So very wise…" He whispered. The cool touch of his marble skin against mine reminded me of a time where I was happy. A time where I had everything I wanted in life and more. I exhaled my breath nice and slow, and felt myself start to lose it. "Oh young Bella, I am so sorry. This must be terribly difficult for you, and for that I apologize once more. The troubles of being a young mother, the fears of the future…"

A tear started to trickle down my cheek, before Carlisle caught it with his marble thumb. "It _is_ hard, _so_ very hard, Carlisle. At times, I don't know what I am going to do. I fear that I am raising him incorrectly, or that he won't be happy. Every decision I make now will affect him for the rest of his life, whether it be beneficial or not." I sighed, and let the tears come. "Being a teenage mother was something I never planned or prepared for. It's all so new to me, where it was foreign. I never knew how to hold a baby, let alone be a mother to one. What do I do when he cries, and won't stop? What do I do when he throws a fit because I tell him 'no'? What do I do when he asks me where his father is? I do what I have always done with him… I smile, and tell him I love him. No matter how hard my day is, or how exhausted I am at night, I am a mother before anything. Evan needs me and I will always be there for him, exhausted or not. He is my number one priority right now, and always will me."

"I know you have heard this before, dear child, but I'm sorry this happened to you." He said quietly.

I shook my head. "No, no, don't be sorry. I don't want people feeling sorry for me, or for Evan. We will be okay, and this is just a chapter in life."

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Carlisle put his hand on my shoulder, and I gasped at his formal touch. "Does this… bother you?"

You know how you tell yourself that you wont put yourself in a certain situation? That you wont give in to temptations, no matter how badly you yearn for the consequence? Speaking with Carlisle was similar to that. My brain was telling me to keep my mouth quiet, but my heart was telling me ti trust Carlisle, even if it would hurt me in the end. Getting the chance to be this close to him now, was one I was willing to risk more pain for. "I haven't felt that in so long, Carlisle. You don't understand what it is like to be broken. Broken into a million pieces, and having those small parts shattered even further. When somebody tries to put those pieces together.. they just… they don't fit anymore. There will always be one piece that is just too damaged to function correctly. You can try, and try to make it work… but it is forever broken. I'm that piece Carlisle. I was shattered, and people have tried to put me back together, but there is always going to be a missing piece. He is missing… I need him."

He was talking to me, and touching me as if nothing had happened. It was as if his family never mysteriously left and broke me into a billion pieces. Had I over thought things… overreacted? No. Of course I didn't, the pain I endured was real, no matter if he feels the same way or not.

Carlisle was silent, his face one of pain and aguish.

"Why?" I said, though it was barely a whisper.

He shook his head, baffled. "Why what, dear?"

My voice was shaky now, and I am sure I sounded hoarse. "Why did you leave? Why did you… abandon me? Did I .. do something wrong? I'm sorry, I'm… I'm so sorry if I ever did something, or said something that hurt your family. Really Carlisle, whatever it was…. I take it back, I take it all back!" I was starting to babble when Carlisle put his finger to my lips in a maneuver to quiet me.

"Shhhh." He said. "Sweet Bella, you did _nothing_. I promise you this. Dear, I would be happy to discuss this with you, but it really isn't in my position to tell you the things I think Edward should. I know I am reaching out on a limb when I say this, but, would you be willing to come by the house later? I get off work in an hour, and I'm sure Esme and Alice would be thrilled to see you. Everyone would be pleased to be honest. I know you must resent us, but please believe me darling, it was never our idea to leave. Edward will be furious with me when he finds out I am telling you this, but there _was_ a reason we had to leave Forks. So, is there any way I could convince you to stop by?"

"Carlisle, I.." I sighed. "Seeing you, JUST you is almost enough to make me get up and do a summersault. I am in tears, yet I am overjoyed, how does that work? If I saw everyone.. . Esme, Alice…. Edward, erm, I don't know how I would react. I cant promise you that I could remain calm. Seeing you one day, and then you just leaving me again, I really don't know if I am… stable enough to handle that." I said quietly. He gasped. " But Carlisle, what you said? I could never hate you. Any of you."

"Stable enough….?" He trailed off.

I looked down. "When you left me before, I didn't want to… live. If I see you all, and you leave again, I just… I need to be a mother to my son, I can't do that if I am depressed." The whole time, I never met his eyes. I didn't want Carlisle to see me weak, and in pain.

He kissed my forehead lovingly, like a father would, and I was surprise. He wasn't appauled by my selfishness? "Please Bella. I honestly think there are things we must sort out. The way we left was unfair, and rude and I will forever be sorry for that, but would you believe me if I said that we may stay for a while? I cannot promise an eternity here, but long enough to settle things with you? At least enough time for you to see Alice? She misses you terribly, sweetheart. He does too…"

"He?" I almost choked on the air I was breathing. "He misses _me_?"

Carlisle nodded. "He doesn't speak much, and when he does, it is as if he is not even there. The color that once brightened his life is gone, my child. He needs you, Bella, please, if not for him, for us, I… I need my son back."

Right then and there at that exact moment in time, none of it mattered. The pain that the Cullen's subconsciously put me through, went straight out the window. I didn't think of the hundreds of nights that I helplessly cried myself to sleep at night, or all the days I went without eating, because the only thing I hungered for was the cool touch of the vampire I thought I would never see again. That hole in my chest that was lying dormant, pulsated, and went back into hiding yet again. Thought it may hurt me further, or even do damage to myself, I knew I had to do this. It could either open something new, or bring me closure which is something I needed. Maybe, just maybe this could make me happy. I deserved to be happy, didn't I? Evan made me happy, but in such a different way. Oh Evan, he deserves to see his mother happy. If I am not doing this for me, then it is for Evan, and even then, if I am not doing it for him, there is one other person who this could be for. Edward Cullen.

I slowly brought my head up, to stare at the honey golden eyes that were peering back at me. I swallowed my fear and nodded, showing my decision. The last rational thing I did, was wipe away the last single tear that was sitting precariously on my cheekbone, and smile at my son.

* * *

**EDWARD POV**

One trillion and five, one trillion and six, one trillion and seven, one trillion and eight, one trillion and nine, one trillion and ten, one trillion and eleven, one trillion and twelve, one trillion and thirteen, one trillion and fourteen, one trillion and fifteen, one trillion and sixteen, one trillion and seventeen, one trillion and eighteen, one trillion and nineteen, one trillion and twenty.

There was a knock at my door that brought me out of my state of depression. Because I zoned out so frequently, I didn't feel as connected to the minds' of my family members as I once I had. I could hear their thoughts buzzing in the back of my mind at all times, but my main priority was keeping to myself. I didn't want any association with the world, not even to hear the thoughts of those around me. I focused in on who was outside my door.

The woman was worried about me yet again, and although I felt sorrow for making her feel this way, there was nothing I could do. I had made my decision, and now I am living with the consequence of the biggest mistake of my life. There was another small tap at my door, and I sighed.

"It is unlocked Esme." I barely breathed.

There was slight hesitation as she opened my door. The air did not come in as swiftly as it usually did, but wafted in bringing in the scents of my family. I was trapped inside my room for a couple days straight now, not leaving for any reason. Hunting was also rare to me now, and I could feel the struggle starting to build. Esme gently stuck her head in my room, and took a soft step on my floor. She cautiously walked forward towards me, and it pained me to see that she was _afraid_ of me. She reached a hand to my shoulder and I flinched at the disapproving face that she held.

"He was right." She gasped.

I looked up to her, and her eyes widened. "What? Who was right?"

She lightly traced the underneath of my eyes, lingering on where the purple bags had developed.

"Sweetheart, your eyes are so… dark. When was the last time you went out for a hunt?"

I shrugged. "It has been weeks, but it isn't important. Don't worry about me, Esme."

"Edward Cullen, don't you tell me not to worry about you. I am concerned about you every second of every day, cant you comprehend that? I understand that Bella is not with you anymore, but think… we are the ones who left her, remember? You thought it was best for her, and even thought it hurt, we followed your demands because that is what families do, but this… this is ridiculous, son. We stayed away, but when we thought you were in some sort of coma, we moved back to Forks, just in a different home. It is still the same, Edward. Please, move, speak, breathe, hunt, do something. It hurts us to see you like this…"

Esme was trying hard to soothe me, and motivate me, but my mind was set: There was nothing in this world that could get me to forget about Bella, _my_ Bella.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. "I just can't move on Esme."

"Nobody said you had to move on Edward, in fact, I know you can't." She breathed. "Sweetheart, we all miss Bella. She was like a daughter to me, but this was your decision, and you have to stick with it. If not, do what you shall want. But I know that you could never go back on this, no matter how much you want to. Please… just come back."

I shook my head. "I am here, Esme."

"You are not the son I saw three years ago…"

So that I did not upset her further, or even anger her, I decided to change the subject. "What brought you up here in the first place?"

"Edward, Carlisle called. He said that you needed to go hunt immediately, because we are expecting a visitor. Before you can ask, he refused to inform me of who it is, supposedly because my reaction could affect the situation. I am quite confused myself, but he stressed the fact that _you_ must hunt, as soon as possible, and be completely satisfied."

She stroked the back of my neck gingerly. My mother was always one to stand by me, even when I tried to shut her out.

"Why must I leave? I am just going to stay in this room during the time of whoever is coming, anyways. I see no reason why I must go hunting, Esme."

Esme bit her lip. "I do not know who Carlisle invited, and I do not know why he invited them, but I trust your father, and you should too. There has to be a reason why he told you to hunt, so please just cooperate with suggestions…"

I could see the pain I was putting her through. Her delicate face was scrunched up in ways that made me feel sorry for myself. As much as I despised the thought of breaking my comatose stature, maybe hunting would be beneficial to me.

I simply nodded.

"You mean you will do it? You will hunt?" She sounded flabbergasted.

I hissed, but not out of anger, it was out of agony. "Yes. I can deal with the pain I am inflicting on myself, but you must understand that I never in my wildest dreamed that you would endure my torture also. I am very sorry for what I have put you and the rest of the family through, yet I still cannot bring myself to make any changes. I have messed up Esme, and no matter what I do, the consequences will overbear me…"

What happened next not only surprised me, but let me know that I _must_ make an effort to carry on with my existence, if not for me, for my family. They don't deserve to see me in this form, especially Jasper, he deals with my emotions more deeply than I do. My heart may ache due to it missing the most important thing it has known, but my life must go on, depression or not. I will never recover from leaving Bella, but I will certainly play the role that I have. My family deserves to see me acting at least half civil…

Esme was by my side in no time at all, hugging me, and pulling me up from my seat. She kissed my cheek softly, and whispered "We will find a way to get her back, Edward."

* * *

That scent. I would know that scent from anywhere; I could decipher it from a million miles away. When I truly focused in on my surroundings, there was no possible way to miss the wave of freesia and strawberries that was in the air, heading towards my home.

Carlisle did not have to tell me that Bella was 'the visitor', for me to know. I was so accustomed to her scent, that as soon as I got the smallest whiff, I was about to go in a frenzy. From what I could tell, Bella was close. Very close. There was something off about her radiance that was around me. Although it was one hundred percent her, there was something added to it. Something small, yet so potent. There was the strawberry and freesia, but it came along with a light trace of rain. Not the heavy rain, but the type that is almost as light as a mist, hazing in the sky. When the air is thick, and the tree's are blurry, that is the sensation I picked up on. What could this new scent me? Had Bella been introduced to a new perfume while we were away? This may be the case, but what I was smelling was something that was so _natural_ that is almost couldn't be manufactured…

How could I do this? How could I face the one person in this world that I had turned my back on? The girl I had promised to protect, and stand by, was now closely coming in contact with my home, and there was nothing I could do. The anguish I felt was now remorse for my past. Would she be the same? Would her tender heart still beat the same way it once had, or was it possible that my ignorance had shattered her sanity? Perhaps she was pushed forward once I left. Maybe my dear, sweet Bella had moved on. That is the reason why I went away, wasn't it? To give Bella a better life: One without danger or risks. A life where Bella could grow old with soul mate, and possibly have children one day if that is what she wished. The possibilities would be endless if Bella could find someone that was more like her; more human.

I could feel the venom slowly trickling into my mouth, like a current, as I tried to prepare myself for what was ahead. She would be here. She would see me. She would _hate_ me.

I slammed my fist down on the closest thing to me, breaking a night table beside my bed. The wood beneath my fist shattered, and fell to shambles on my floor. In some ways, I was like the once strong and sturdy table. Invincible to obvious things, but when a force comes in contact with it, there is nothing you can do to stop the enevitable break. Love was my force, leaving Bella was my contact. Now, I am just as broken as my furniture, and just as easily unfixable.

There was a knock at the door, and my body froze. Alice's light, prancing steps were making their way to the front door, and her thoughts were confused. Quickly, the image of Bella's truck flooded her mind, and then there was nothing. It was a brick wall, and it was obvious that Alice was shielding her thoughts from me. Alice gasped, and without consulting me, my body began to make it's way to the top of the staircase.

"Bella! Oh… wow, come in, come in! I just, I can't believe you are here… How did you know? Who is this?" Who was who? Alice's shrilling voice echoed though the house. My footsteps were slow and cautious, but continuous.

The new scent that had gently reached me earlier, was not engulfing me. Instead of only hearing Bella's repetitive heartbeat, there was another heartbeat that accompanied her; one that was smaller, and more swift. Who could this be?

"I had to take Evan to the doctor's earlier, and uhm, Carlisle was who we saw… We got to talking and uh, here I am." Her beautiful voice was shaky; She was nervous and scared, yet she had no reason to be.

Evan? Was Evan her… _boyfriend_? My chest was starting to ache, and I was gripping the wall more tightly that necessary. Was he the second heartbeat?

"Is this Evan?" I was guessing Alice was motioning to the man who Bella brought along.

I couldn't take it any longer. I needed to see who this 'Evan' was, and if he was good enough for my beautiful Bella. I ripped my hand from the wall, leaving a small crack where the friction was. My feet took me down the flight of stairs, and my eyes guided me to realize something that was a shock.

The so called 'man' that accompanied Bella could not have been more than three years old. He was short, and had the look of pure innocence. His hair was a light brown color, much lighter than Bella's. The young boy did not speak yet, only smiling up at Bella, gripping her bony hand with his small, chubby fingers. His eye lashes were long and thick, and there were two small dimples sitting peacefully below his smile. He was pale, but nowhere near as pale as Bella; he had some color. The boys' features were very mesmerizing, and he looked mature for a small child. The resemblance between him and Bella was obvious, but there were still differences. Very small ones, really. In fact, if I only took a quick glance, they could pass for twins, despite the age difference. The one thing that caught my full attention was the boys' eyes. They were big, and curious, yet subtle and humble. They were placed perfectly spaced apart, just enough for his little nose to be exactly in the middle. It was rare to see such symmetry on a child, but that was not even the amazing fact. His eyes were brown, but not just brown. They were the same exact color as Bella's. That glorious, dark wood brown.

It surprised me how close Bella and Evan were. Their hands were entertwined, and he was clutching to her leg in a way that made me think he felt safe around her. I stared harder at him, trying to see what he was thinking, but there was nothing. Not a single thing passed through his mind, or at least nothing I could comprehend.

I looked back to Alice, and thoughts of happiness came from her, yet when I looked back to the little boy… nothing. Could it be? Evan was the second human being that was impervious to my mind reading ablilities. Bella and he must be closely related, in order for the gene to be so dominiant. Cousins maybe?

Before I oculd ask, Evan pulled on Bella's jeans, and she looked down at him.

"Mommy, can I take my shoes off?" were the exact words that came out of his mouth.

My mind started to race. Mommy? I looked quickly, and frantically from Bella back to Evan, and everything clicked. The appearences, the smells, the lack of thoughts to me… It was true. Bella was a mother to this small child standing before me.

A growl escaped my lips. "No…" I whispered.

**Sorry it was so short, but I just HAD to stop here. What do you guys think so far? Like it, hate it, let me knowww (: Please leave a review. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!**


	3. New Friend

Here Is chapter three! I am not a fan of this chapter, but it explains some things. The story will get better now, seeing as the explaining is over and I can focus on the relationships between everyone. As always, please review and I will review back for you. Thank you!

Kywardbbyx21 3

Bella's head snapped up at me, and I could see her grip on Evan's hand tighten slightly. Not enough to hurt him, but just enough to show that he was in her possession and she would protect him at all costs. Her beautiful brown eyes were staring daggers at me, and for once in my life, I could not bear to look at her. I bent my head down to look at the hardwood floors, gleaming up at my reflection.

Seeing her close was too much. The suffering and pain I had caused her was more than obvious in her features. Her once plump and slightly pink cheeks were now sunken in and pale. Speaking of pale, her whole complexion seemed to have been bleached out. She was now almost as white as I was, if it were humanly possible. The poor girl looked smaller and more defensive than I remembered. Her arms were not hidden by clothing, and from what I could see, they were much skinnier than when I was with her. Bella's brittle bones made an outline under her skin, and in my mind it seemed to be that if another human were to even lightly touch her, she would crumble. Her fingers were only covered with a thin layer of skin, the veins and blood vessels clearly visible to me. The one thing I could not wrap my mind around, was that she obviously carried, nourished, and gave birth to a seemingly healthy baby, yet was still so fragile and breakable. More heartbreaking than unbelievable were her eyes. Those breath-taking chocolate brown orbs once held my everything, my true reason for existence. At one point, when I gazed into them, I could see everything I had ever imagined; everything I could ever wish to find in life, yet the sparkle that was once present has faded away, leaving a glazed over glare.

Alice must have sensed the tension, because she put her hand on Bella's shoulder. Bella flinched, and it truly hurt me to realize that she was shuddering from not only the touch of my family, but from the feeling of her once best friend.

"Bella, maybe I should take Evan upstairs to see Emmett and Rose. Esme is up there too, she is dying to see you. They know you are here, and I really think the two of you need to talk…" Alice led off.

Bella's gaze went back to Evan, and I wished I could hear what either of them was thinking. "Where is Jasper, Alice?"

"Hunting. Evan is completely safe, I promise. We will just be upstairs in the game room." She continued "Is that okay?"

She hesitated, and then picked her son up, cradling him to her chest. Part of me wanted to prance to her, and take him from her grasp, so that her weak body would not have to bear his extra weight, yet the more dominant part of me was intrigued at how nurturing my Bell was being, as a mother. The love that she felt for her child was so strong, that it radiated from her.

Whether or not she wanted us to her what she was saying to him, the vampires in the house could clearly comprehend what she was whispering to Evan.

"Sweetheart, Alice is a very, very, _very_ nice woman, okay? She is going to take you right up the stairs to a big room with plenty of games for you to play. There will be other people up there, but they are all excited to meet you, so be nice, alright Turtle?" He nodded. "Can you do that for Mommy, so that she can talk to the man?"

I was 'the man'? I guess I deserved that. I deserved to much more than the cold shoulder from Bella.

"Yes, Mommy. Will you come play too?" Evan's little voice rang out.

Bella smiled. "When I am done talking, of course I will play with you. Here" Bella reached into the purse that was dangling on her other shoulder, and pulled out a small orange and black car. She dove into the purse again, but this time she recovered a blue and red car that resembled the shape of the first. "Tell the big man named Emmett to play with you, I'm sure he will."

She set Evan on the ground, and gently handed him the two toys, before she kissed his forehead lovingly. Right as she was pulling away, Evan put his palm to his lips, kissed it, and placed his little hand on Bella's cheek. Even if I couldn't read his thoughts, it seems as though the young boy was very mature and wise beyond his years.

Alice bent down to him. "Are you ready, Evan? You and I are going to have so much fun together, I just know it."

He nodded. "Bye, Mommy."

Bella waved to him, as Alice took his hand and walked with him up the stairs. She stayed at his pace the entire time, and it surprised me that she could push her excitement to the side so that the child felt comfortable.

With the two of them safely upstairs, the only other people left in the room consisted of Bella, and myself. No distractions, no excuses, and no way to avoid the obvious: she hated me, she had a child, and she was devastatingly hurt.

"Would you like to accompany me into the sitting room, Bella?" I extended my hand to her, slowly. "I think you will be more comfortable if we sit in there."

She grimaced at my hand, reached hesitantly towards it, and then dropped her hand back to her side. Seeing as she knew where everything in my home was located, she began to walk to the sitting room without another word from me. It hurt to know that Bella did not want to hold my hand anymore, yet this is what I will have to deal with from now on. _I_ hurt _her_, and now I have to gain her trust back again. I just hope she gives me the chance…

We silently took seats on opposite sides of the room. The way Bella sat was very different than the way she used to. She was located on the left side of the sofa, her legs curled up beside her, and her left arm rested on the raised section of the furniture. If I had to judge her posture, I would say that the girl displayed before me was nervous. She looked timid, and afraid of the surrounding world. I hated that she had to feel like that in my presence; it made me feel disgusted with myself. How could I ever hurt my Bella? How could I make her resent my very presence?

She stayed quiet, just long enough for my nerves to stand on end. What could be going on in that head of hers? I knew I had questions, and the poor girl must have some of her own, but how shall we start this?

"Bella?" I whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear.

Her head popped up. "Yes?" She answered.

I shook my head. "There is so much that you deserve to hear, and so much more that I want to say to you, and I promise you, Bella, you will get the explanation you need, but before I go any further I just want you to know that I am sorry. I am more sorry than I could ever lead you believe, whether I deserve your forgiveness or not, I will not ask for it at the time. All that I ask, is that you give me time to explain? Please." She nodded, and I could see the tears forming in her eyes. I wanted more than anything to have the courage to walk to her, and wipe the glistening water away. To hold her the way I used to, and comfort her the way I knew I could, but the fact of the matter is, that at this moment in time, it is just better if I keep my hands to myself. "Dear Bella, my existence has put you in danger ever since the morning you moved into this new town. I watched you from afar due to the fact that I knew that if I got close, you could get hurt… you _would_ get hurt. There was no way to avoid the obvious, I am a _monster_ and you are much too perfect for my lifestyle. Yet when we were together, if was almost as if I was a new creature, one that was tame enough to earn your affection. The thirst I felt for you was put in the back of my mind and loving you was my only priority. Miraculously we avoided the disaster's that tried to follow our relationship, but there are some things that we just _couldn't _avoid, no matter how much precaution we took. That brings me to the night of your birthday party. The night before my family and I left Forks, to be exact. I know how you feel about the incident, but sweetheart, it could have been worse. What if Jasper was not restrained? What if… what if he bit you? I cannot bring myself to think of what I would have done if something horrible and irreversible would have happened to you. Don't you see? I am bad for you Bella? I am no good for your world, and _that_ is why I took myself out of it. I honestly thought that if I removed myself from your life, that you would move on. You would fall in love with a human that could give you everything I couldn't. Safety, warmth, children…" I shook my head. "And as much as I regret doing what I did, I can see that it worked. You followed my plan, Bella. You _did_ move on, and you _did_ have a baby…"

That is when I saw Bella do something I have never witnessed before. She _growled_ at me.

"NO! Don't you _dare_ say that Edward! You think I moved on? You think I found a new man, one that I… fell in love with?" she paused, and as I was about to say something, she continued. "No, no, no, no, no, _no_, Edward. When you left me… I was a wreck. The nightmares, the inability to keep food down if I was up to eating, the crying myself to sleep at night, the sobbing uncontrollably… all of that was hard on me. _So_ hard, but you know what? The feeling that I was unwanted was even harder to live with. I don't know if I can even call it living. I was… surviving. I was breathing, and keeping myself alive, but there was no point to my living if you were gone. What did I have to go on for? Absolutely nothing. I didn't want to live, I didn't want to be in a world where you were not by my side holding my hand, but that is the world that I was trapped in! I had no way out, and soon enough, Charlie was threatening to force me into some program for depressed teenagers. He wanted me hospitalized, but I refused. I refused his affection, and I refused to go to Jacksonville like he prodded. I couldn't leave Forks, because in the back of my mind, I had some sick fantasy that you would come back, looking for me. Pathetic. I _was_ pathetic. With me staying in Forks, I had to do something that would ease Charlie off of my case. Jacob Black. He was there, I was there, and I guess you could say we became best friends. He… he understood, and he didn't ask questions. If I needed him, he was there…"

I cut her off, my temper taking over. Jacob Black, from the Quileute tribe was _not_ good enough for my Bella. "Him? You reproduced with _him?_"

She scowled, and wiped a tear from her eye. "No."

I thought back to Evan's appearance, and who he could potentially resemble. If she wasn't going to tell me, I would just have to guess. When one name popped in my head, I could feel my frozen heart start to break. The pale skin, the small smile…

"Mike Newton?" My voice cracked.

She shook her head.

"Ben? Tyler?"

Once again, she shook her head.

"Bella, please, just tell me. Who is your baby's father? I.. I just wish to know, _please_." I begged, whole heartedly.

The tears were steady now, and my body ached to comfort her, and to let her know that everything is okay. To let her know that I was here, and I would _never_ let anything hurt her again.

Bella took a deep breath, and her voice was shaky. "I… I don't know, Edward. I really, truly, don't know who it is."

That took me by surprise. Had she _fooled around_ in my absence? No, of course not. I may not know the full story, but I am clearly certain that my Bella would never do something like that. What happened to my innocent love?

Without permission from my mind, my body stood up, and crossed the space that was between Bella and I. I could see the fear in her eyes as I lowered myself to her level and took the seat beside her, eliminating the space between us. Despite her shudders, and shakes, I put my ice cold hand over her warm, fingers. She gasped, but I kept it there, proving my point. I was here and, I would do _anything _for her.

I moved my head closer to her and whispered "Please, explain."

She nodded, not meeting my eyes. "I was walking back to my truck after picking up a few groceries from the store, and it… it was dark. When I originally went into the store, it was quite packed, so I had to park at the far end of the parking lot. I was walking under the dimly lit street lamps, and something just felt _different_. I couldn't place my finger on it, but something around me was off, and my body knew it. Without thinking anything of it, I kept walking, picking up my pace, and trying to steady my breathing." She abruptly stopped, and her breathing started to accelerate. She was nervous, and I could feel it. "That's when he came from behind a van, and attacked me from behind. There was nothing I could do, he was much too strong. I struggled, and attempted to get away, but my weak movements were no match for him. The man had me down, and drug me to a secluded area nearby, and he... he violated me. He raped me. Even then, when the worst was done, I tried to escape, but all that earned me was a few broken bones and scars. Eventually he fell asleep, and I got what I wanted. I ran, and I ran until I got home. I didn't even think about picking up my truck, I just had to get home. Charlie and the rest of the force team found him a few days later in a ditch. The man was on drugs, and he overdosed. By that time, we had already found out what we needed to know from the rape kit that was done on me at the hospital. Although I contracted no diseases from the incident, I was left with something more… serious. He uhm, he get me pregnant, and the damage was done. There was a baby inside of me. One that I didn't plan on conceiving. At first, I thought of abortion, but I couldn't follow through with it. Even if he was placed inside me on a bad occasion, he was still there, and he was part of me. At that point, I was dead set on giving my baby up for adoption. I was not killing a fetus, and the baby could have a happy, long life with parents who deserved him. There was nothing that could make me change my decision… except for _him_. I found out that the baby was a boy, and after that, the kicks came. Every little bump inside me made me grow closer to him, and I realized t that very first movement that he was _mine_. He always was mine, and he always would be mine. I couldn't give him up, whether it was the 'right thing t do or not'. Evan was born June 20 at 2:47 in the morning, weighing six pounds, nine ounces. He was nineteen inches long, and was the most beautiful baby I had ever laid my eyes on. His skin was pink, and his cry was the most glorious sound I could imagine. My baby had finally arrived, and soon after he was born, I got a new job and with some help from friends, I moved into an apartment rather close to Charlie's house. Evan has grown up, and well… here we are now."

Bella. Was. Raped? I tore my hand from hers, and scrunched my fists together. I brought down a hand on the coffee table, and left a massive break in the wood. I could hear the snarls and hisses that escaped my lips, but I could not suppress them. How could I let this happen? She was _violated_ and _hurt_. I jumped up and starting packing, thinking of what I could do with the situation. Unfortunately, the lowlife was already dead, so I could not slowly torture him, and hear him beg for his life right before I would end it. That is when it occurred to me that I shouldn't be worrying about anger; I should be worrying about Bella, and also her son Evan.

I turned my head back to her slowly. Looking at her body now, made me think of a man on her and degrading her. The venom seeped back into my mouth, and I swallowed hard.

"Bella, is there anything I can do? I am _so_ sorry…" I sat back beside her.

She shook her head. "He is here, and I love him, Edward. He is my son." I saw a tiny smile start to play on her lips, shining through her tears.

Bella seemed content with her state, and I was in no place to try and sway her opinion. If this is the life she lives, then I will be perfectly happy with it.

"You… a mother. It is very hard to wrap my mind around that, you must understand."

"While I was pregnant with him, it was hard to believe that there was a life inside of me, surviving _because_ of me. Then, when he was born, as soon as I heard his cry hit the air, I started to cry along with him, because it was then that I realized I was a true mother. He was there, I was there, and we were together. For the rest of my existence, I would be a mom to someone, and that… that is an amazing feeling. I mean, when he first looked into my eyes, I broke down. He was so _mesmerizing_." Her hand captured a loose strand of hair, and tucked it behind her ear.

In my absence, Bella had changed drastically. She obviously carried and delivered a child, but her mental state also was morphed. I could tell that she was hurt and for that, I felt agony in myself, for I was the reason for her pain, yet she matured in more ways than one. Her capacity for love had expanded; she now knew how to love something that came from her. Long before I left, Bella had always been self conscious about herself, and about the products of her mind and body. Her grades, her appearance, and even the way she spoke was always self-criticized, but seeing her with Evan, I see a woman that takes great pride in her son, knowing that she created him. I was intrigued by the new self confidence and maturity Bella had acquired.

"I can only imagine. You seem like a glorious mother, Bella. Truly, I am amazed at the connection the two of you share."

She blinked a few times. "What do you mean the connection?"

"Well, the way you both stand near each other. He is constantly touching you, which shows me that he feels safe with you, as he should; you are his mother. Also, the way that you look at him with such adoration, makes me think about things. It fascinates me to see how attached you each are to the other. Some say it would appear to be a mother and son kind of thing, but to me, it seems like much more than that."

"So thorough." She whispered. "Just like always."

"You said June 20 was the day he was born, correct?" I tried having small talk.

She must hate me, but maybe having conversation with her is the first step to gaining back her trust. Whether she knows this, or not, I will have my Bella back one day. If it is the last thing I ever do, I am going to show Bella I can protect her, and that I have never once stopped loving her.

"Yes, and I know. That's your birthday." She lightly chuckled, and wiped away the last remnants of tears.

That made me smile, for a very unknown reason. "Wonderful. He really looks like you, Bella. He is absolutely beautiful, truly perfect. In fact, he is like you in more ways than one."

Her face was one of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I can't… read his mind. At all. There are no thoughts of his that I can comprehend."

"That's amazing." She gasped. "I guess it is in my genes to be a mental mute."

I laughed. "Well, I'm sure that as time goes on, he will appreciate it. Having a vampire read his thoughts certainly wouldn't be fun as he matures into a teenager."

"Edward… I don't know what you are saying." She whispered.

"Bella, I am not leaving again." I said slowly. "I lost you once, and look what that caused. As long as you still want me, I will be here for you every second of every day. You and your son."

She looked away from me, and I could hear her tears again. "I… He is my priority, Edward. I need to focus on my son, not a relationship. He needs a mother more than I need a companion, and he deserves to have my full attention."

"But Bella, I could be there for him. The child does not have a father; I could be that role for him…"

"What? I am not just going to thrust you into his life! Sure, you would be a great father; I have said that for a long time now, but Edward… nothing is certain. People come and go, and Evan is the type of child that needs stability."

That is when it set in. "You think I am going to leave again?"

Bella nodded her head once, not meeting my glance. "Maybe, if I mess up again."

"No, Bella, do not blame this on yourself, this was all me! I swear, that won't happen again, I am here to stay. There is not a force strong enough to pull me from you again."

She sighed. "You have said that before. Remember Edward? As long as I wanted you, you claimed you would be with me, but… you weren't. You lied to me, you broke your promise. How do I know that if you 'thought I was in danger again' you wouldn't leave again? Exactly, I cannot trust your word on that subject anymore."

So stubborn, more now than ever. "Bella…"

She looked at me, and I pressed my thumb against a tear that was trapped on her beautiful cheekbone. "Edward, if you left again after I… got reattached, my mind would not be stable enough to care for a child, and that is something I cannot dare to think of right now. Just, be my friend? Acquaintance? Please."

Sure. I will be your friend for now, but I promise you one day Bella Marie Swan, I will rebuild my trust. "Okay. If that is what you want, I will be whatever you want me to be."

* * *

Watching my family interact with Bella's child was something that felt… _right_. Of course I would accept Bella, with or without a child. I would treat him with respect, and think of his feelings, keeping in mind he had thoughts of his own that deserved to be heard. The fact that she _did_ have Evan did not bother me in the slightest, and seeing that my family was accepting of it gave me hope that things could actually turn out positive. The two of them could live alongside us in the near future, and no negative thoughts would be voiced.

Bella was currently downstairs explaining her situation to the rest of the Cullen family. Carlisle arrived home shortly after Bella and I's confrontational talk, and there was no possible way that we could keep Alice away from her any longer. Jasper also returned from his hunt, and was accompanying everyone downstairs which was a brilliant idea, because he could control the moods of my family if anyone were to get out of hand.

It was just Evan and I in the upper half of the house, and we were in my bedroom. Originally we were situated in the game room, but he wanted to see the rest of the house. After showing him each of the rooms, he insisted upon staying in mine, because he said he liked the large, south-facing wall consisting of only windows. As of now, Evan was laying chest-down on my floor, quietly gazing out at the forest beyond his reach. In an act to gain his trust, I was seated rather close to him, smiling when he decided to take his eyes off of the landscape and speak to me.

"Hey." He directed towards me, and I peered down to him. "Why are the clouds always sad?"

That puzzled me, so I kindly said "What do you mean, Evan?"

"When it rains, it means a cloud is crying. It rains lots here, so that means that the clouds are very sad, huh?"

"Is that what your mother told you?" If she had, I would certainly go along with her theory as to why rain occurred. It was much easier than explaining the water cycle to a young boy.

He shook his head. "No, I just guessed."

I chuckled. Although I was not used to being around younger people, Evan was quite easy to get along with. "Do you like the rain?"

"I hate the rain." Evan looked down at the floor, almost as if he were sad.

Bella disliked the rain also; they were so similar. "Is there a reason why?"

"Yes." He looked back up at me. "I don't like it when people cry. Especially my Mommy."

"Does.. does she cry often?" My voice broke in between the words. The young child was more observant that I thought, if he could already understand feelings and the causes behind them. I felt horrible for prodding questions out of Bella's son, but I certainly wasn't going to give up the opportunity to learn things through his point of view.

"She used to. She used to say your name lots and lots, too. But she doesn't cry as much now. I think she is happy, and I like it when she is happy."

My jaw dropped. All along, I was feeling agonized for the pain and suffering I caused Bella to endure, but she was not the only one effected my disappearance. Her depression was reflected in her actions with her son, which was quite degrading to my sanity.

"I- uhm, I like it when she is happy too. Your mother deserves to be happy."

He nodded, and stood up slowly. While he crossed the room, I analyzed the way he moved his body. He slightly swung his arms with each step he took, and his steps were small but filled. It was no surprise that he functioned the same exact way his mother did. Evan picked up his two toy cars, and brought them over to me. He plopped down in the same spot he was previously in, and gently slid the red and blue car towards me. His smile was shining through, and I smiled back.

"Wanna play?" he asked. "You can use the red and blue one. I like it more than the orange one, but I know you will like it too."

I nodded silently, enjoying how he trusted me with his possession. We rolled the toys across my floor, going back and forth, and sometimes doing swerves or twists. Evan made quiet noises that resembled motors and engines, and I tried to mimic him, but when I did I received a few giggles from him.

After about half an hour of participating in the games of his choice, there was a knock at the door, and Bella walked in.

"Turtle, it's time to go." She stooped down to his level, and kissed his forehead. Her eyes were red, and her skin was pink; it was obvious that she had been crying. "Come on sweetheart, tell everyone bye."

I assisted Evan in standing up, and everyone piled in my room to give he and Bella long departing hugs. Of course, if I had anything to do with it, we would all be seeing them very soon, yet the affection shown was as if they were departing for a long period of time. My family said their goodbyes, and then waltzed away to a separate part of the house, leaving Bella, Evan and myself alone.

I awkwardly walked to her, and stood in front of her view. "Bella, I hope to see you again, sometime soon?"

"Actually, Alice is insisting on throwing Turtle a birthday party, so you will be seeing us _both_ quite a lot."

"That sounds wonderful, really it does." I smiled.

She nodded, and reached her hand out to her son. He grabbed her palm and intertwined his fingers with hers. In his opposite hand, he held onto his orange and black Matchbox car. Seeing that reminded me that I still held his other toy.

"Here, Evan." I grinned, and tried to hand his toy to him.

He scrunched his nose, and then laughed. "It's okay, you can keep it."

I was shocked, but said "But isn't this one your favorite?"

"Yes." He nodded. "But I think you can take good care of it, and that way when you get bored, you can play with it, and think of me."

Without thinking, I reached down to give him a hug, and surprisingly, he gave me one back. I pulled away and smiled.

"Goodbye Evan, goodbye Bella."

Bella nodded, and it was easy to see that she was uncomfortable.

"Bye new friend." Evan called as he and his mother walked from my hall.

New friend… Bella's son was my 'new friend'. I smiled at that, and looked down at the small car that was sitting safely in my hands. I walked over to my dresser, and placed it in the very center, right in front of the photo of Bella.

**There we go, I don't really like this chapter, but oh welllllllll. Please review and let me know what you think. (: TAHNK YOU.**


	4. Batman

************ I am going to try something new here. FOR EVERYONE WHO REVIEWS, I WILL SEND YOU THE FIRST 650 WORDS OF THE NEW CHAPTER AS SOON AS I HAVE IT DONE, I PROMISE! I want to see how many reviews I can get, because I can see that a very large number of you guys are reading. So, if you would like a sneak preview of the next chapter BEFORE ANYONE ELSE, REVIEW! Be sure to send me your email address. Thank you very much!************

**Here is chapter four! Please read the author's note at the end of the chapter. Thank you, and please review! (: As always, if you review for me, I will review for you. Let me know what you think(:**

**-Kywardbbyx21**

"Turtle, come to the dining room, lunch is ready." I called towards the hallway, as I placed his plate on the table. "It's your favorite, baby. Macaroni and cheese, mandarin oranges, and cinnamon Teddy Grahams."

His little feet padded against the floor, and I could hear him making his way to the table. When I first saw him, I couldn't help but laugh. He had his underwear on over his jeans, miss-matched shoes on the opposite feet, and a small blanket tied gently around his neck so that when he ran, it flowed behind him in the breeze.

He cocked his head to the side. "Why are you laughing?"

"Because of what you are wearing, sweetie. Why do you have your big boy underwear on _over_ your pants?" I chuckled. "And Evan, it is summer. Why do you have on a winter snow boot and a croc?"

"I'm a super hero." He told me as if it were obvious. "Mommy, super heroes have to wear shoes so that their feet don't get hurt. My unnerwears are on top cause it is part of my costume. The bad guy has to see my costume so that he is scared of me, and runs away."

"Okay, that makes sense but why didn't you just put on your Batman costume if you wanted to be a hero? The one Grandpa Charlie got you last month is very… super-hero like." I giggled. "You look extremely adorable in it too, Turtle."

He sighed. "I don't want to be Batman."

"Why not? I thought he was your favorite?" Batman had always been Evan's favorite super hero. Whether it had something to do with the fact that he was Jake's favorite too, there was no possible way to sway Evan to even _think_ of being devoted to a different hero.

"Cause I'm Evan. I'm not Batman, he is different than me. I like being me cause it's easy. Being Batman would be too hard, probably."

That was Evan, simple and to the point. His replies were always short and specific yet always made you wonder what was going on in that little head of his. Saying that he mentally mature for his age was an understatement. Some of the things that came out of my little boy's mouth are things that you wouldn't even expect an intelligent adult to come up with.

Being proud that he was happy with who he is, I smiled and nodded. "That's right, baby. Being Evan Swan is a _very_ good thing to be happy about. You know what else is something to be excited for?"

"No, what?" His eyes widened.

"If you eat all of your lunch like a big boy, Mommy will take you out for ice cream later. Uncle Jake can come too." I smiled to show him that I saw serious.

"Can I get chocolate?"

"Of course." I nodded.

"With _sprinkles_?" He asked excitedly.

"You can have all the sprinkles your little heart desires, baby." I kissed his forehead lovingly.

Evan clapped his hands together, and practically ran to his chair. I assisted him in getting into it and when he was settled, I pushed him closer to the table so that he could reach his silverware comfortably. He grasped his spoon in his right hand and began to scoop some macaroni and cheese onto it. He lifted it to his mouth and took a big bite.

"This is going to be easy." He giggled while chewing.

I couldn't help but laugh along with him, he was so cute. "Alright Turtle, you sit here and eat your lunch and Mommy will go call Uncle Jake to tell him the plan, okay? Yell if you need me, I will just be in my room."

Evan nodded and continued to eat as I started to walk down the hall. I took a left turn into my bedroom and flopped on my bed, grabbing the phone as I collapsed onto the warm comforter. I dialed Jake's number and listened at the rings started to appear. One, pause. Two, pause. Three, pause. Four, pause. Five, pause. Why wasn't he answering? Jacob always answered his phone in case something happened to Evan and I needed a little help. I heard the obnoxious ringing noise one more time before it cut straight to his answering machine.

"_Hey! It's Jake, leave me a message and I'll call you back. Uhm, thanks."_

I chuckled. That was so like him. "Hey, listen Jake, Evan and I are going out for some ice cream, and I was thinking that maybe you could come along? We haven't seen you since that day at the doctors, and that was almost a week ago, so I really would like you to come along. Evan misses you and so do I. Just… just let me know."

I hung up the phone, and stretched out on my bed. Looking up at my ceiling and seeing the plain, white, blank space caused me to start thinking. Had it _really_ been that long since I had seen Jacob? I was one million percent positive that it had been exactly six days since that day at Evan's appointment, and even though six days doesn't seem like a long period of time, it was the longest I had ever gone without seeing Jake since we became close. How could I have let that much time pass without giving him a call, or sending him a simple text? I could have surely driven to his house and said a short 'hello', just to see how he was doing. What was on my mind so frequently that would allow me to practically forget about my best friend?

Oh, right. The Cullen's arrival back into Forks, and me visiting them. Ever since the confrontational meeting with them, they were all that I have thought about, other than Evan of course. I guess I had been so busy wondering about their return that I didn't think of giving Jake a call. But then again, _he_ could have called _me._ The only reason that he would ignore me is if he were mad at me for some reason, and as of lately, I don't think I had made any mistakes with him.

That's when it hit me. Of course Jacob was angry with me. He had stormed out of the doctor's office as soon as Carlisle had walked in. The Cullen's were his natural enemy, it is no wonder that he would be furious with me if I agreed to associate with them again. It is just like him to run away from his problems, and leave me feeling guilty about it. Well, mission accomplished Jake.

I dialed his number again, and to no surprise, it went straight to voicemail this time. It didn't even ring once. Okay, now it is obvious that he is ignoring me. I waited for his message to end and for the small beep to signal my opportunity to leave a message.

"Jake, listen. I'm sorry that I haven't called but I'm not the only one who has the ability to dial a number every once in a while. I know that you are probably mad about.. What happened, but there really is nothing going on, and also nothing you can do about it. I'll say it again, I'm sorry if I hurt you, but really, ignoring me isn't going to solve anything. I don't know what else to say, but Evan is looking forward to seeing you, so unless you call back, I guess I will have to break the news to him that his Uncle Jake can't make it. Please… call me back. I will be leaving here in about half an hour, so that is all the time you have. Love you Jake…"

I hung up the phone, and set it down on the charger that sat on my bedside table. While taking a couple deep breaths, I also took in my current situation. My best friend was angry with me because I had agreed to associate with the family that had deserted me in a previous time. I don't think Jacob is as against the Cullen family as a whole, as he is Edward specifically. Who do I turn to? Who do I follow? The family that once was my everything , or the friend who would be my anything?

None of them. The only person in this world that I absolutely need is sitting out in my dining room eating his lunch. A smile spread across my face just thinking of him. I didn't need Jacob to go with us to simply get ice cream, and I didn't need his approval as to who I could speak with. I needed my son to be happy with people around him that I trust.

I got myself off my bed, and turned the lights off as I made my way back to the hallway. In the dining room, Evan was sitting patiently at the table, looking down at his plate. He must have heard my footsteps, because he looked up at me with his little smirk. Evan had a very original little smirk that could always make me smile. His lips curled up like Elvis, but you could still see the little grin underneath, and his brown eyes always slightly scrunched up.

"I did it." He smiled at me, and pointed to his plate. "See, I ate it _all_ like a big boy."

I walked over to the table to see if he had really eaten all of his food. To my surprise, the only thing left on his plate was a mandarin orange and two teddy grahams. I pulled him in for a hug and kissed his cheek again.

"Good job, Turtle. Do you still want ice cream?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

He looked from my eyes to the hallway, and back to my eyes again.

"Ev?"

His little smirk returned again, and he looked down at himself.

Without saying one word to me, he hopped down from the chair, and ran straight to his room. His little 'cape' flowed freely behind him, and his one croc bounced on the heel of his foot. Why in the world would he do that? Instead of asking him, I walked at a normal pace to his bedroom. The door was closed, and it made me giggle. Evan was being his normal self and was most likely planning some sort of mischievous act. I knocked once and everything on his side of the door got quiet… oh no. What could he be up to now?

I knocked again. "Evan?"

There was a banging on the wall, sounding like it came from his closet? I really hope he didn't knock down the drum set that Jake had built him a couple months ago. I said there was no way that he could keep it in his room due to the amount of noise I know would radiate from them, so I put it in the top of his closet, away from his always ready hands.

In an attempt to give him a little time to finish whatever it was that he was doing, I knocked on last time before opening the door.

At first sight, everything looked to be in order. There were a few toys scattered across the floor and his comforter on his bed was a little ruffled, but other than that, nothing looked out of place. The sports themed rugs were laid neatly on the floor, and his toy chests were pushed against the wall just as they were when I woke him up this morning. Nothing seemed to be missing… except Evan himself. Where had he gone? I just heard him a couple seconds ago.

I crouched by his bed, lifted up the bed skirt, and peered into the darkness. No Evan there. I walked the perimeter of his room, looking for a clue that could tell me where he was. I was just about to give up, and call for him when there was a small shuffling sound coming from inside his closet. I quickly looked to the French doors, and one was slightly swaying.

I decided I would play a little game with him. "Oh dear, I have lost my little boy. Where in the world could he have gone?" I said in a sarcastic, playful voice.

There was a giggle from the closet, and I tip-toed closer to it.

"Hmmm, maybe the closet monsters ate him…" I lead off, knowing what would happen next.

"Nu-uh Mommy, there aren't any monsters in here. You told me that a couple days ago." Evan said in a sassy voice.

I rolled my eyes at his adorable attitude. "Are you sure about that? Because the last time I checked, there were _definitely_ some monsters in this house. Do you know what kind?"

It was quiet for a second. "Mike Wizowski monsters?"

"Nope." I shook my head. "Guess again."

"Uhm." He thought. "Cookie monsters?"

"No, I _think_ it was called… The… _**TICKLE MONSTER**_!"

Evan screamed excitedly as I ripped the doors open and swiftly scooped him into my arms. While running to his bed, I began tickling him. His giggles filled the room, and soon my laughter joined in. I gently flopped him onto his bed, and quickly began to tickle every inch of his body. His little arms flailed around his body in an attempt to hide his skin from me. Evan was good at wiggling, but this Mom knows just how to make her son give up.

My hands went to his little feet and my fingers started going around his small toes. His shrieks of enjoyment rang in my ears, and I went back to his torso. He tried to roll away from me, but my arms gently locked him in place. I placed my fingers just under his arms and moved them around. Evan was laughing harder now than I have ever heard him laugh in my life.

He took a small breath. "You win, Mommy!" He said between fits of giggles.

I abruptly stopped and looked in his eyes. "See, I told you there was a monster."

"Whatever you say." He smiled.

We both stood up and l looked him over. His underwear that were once over top his shorts were nowhere to be found, and his cape that had been tied around him was now laying on his pillow. The shoes that were once on incorrectly were setting in his closet and Evan was left barefoot.

"Honey, did you get ready all by yourself?" It surprised me that he _willingly_ took off his 'cape', 'costume', and 'super hero shoes'.

"Uh-huh. That's why I closed the door. So you would be surprised."

I picked him up, and arranged him so that he was resting on my hip. I set my face so that I was breathing in the scent of his shirt. He smelled like my little boy. Sweet, innocent, and loveable.

"Well, you have on your shirt and shorts…" I continued. "What about underwear under your shorts?

He nodded. "Yes"

I set him down, and pointed to his closet. "Pick out a pair of brown flip flops, and as soon as you are done that, I think we're ready to go get ice cream, baby."

"Okay, Mommy." He trotted over to his closet, bent down and started to search for his shoes.

Normally I would most certainly get his shoes for him, but I needed a second to send a very important text message. I pulled my phone from my back pocket, unlocked it, and began to type a message.

_Jake, we are leaving now. You never called so I guess that means you aren't coming. Thanks for letting something so petty come between us. Even more importantly, you and Evan. Don't bother replying, or showing up. Evan and I will go alone and have a wonderful time._

I scrolled through my contacts and highlights Jacob's name. I bit my lip, and pondered whether or not I should even send the message or not. I mean I _did_ go against his judgment and accept the Cullen's friendship, but I am an adult… I am a mother. I am certainly mature enough to make decisions for myself, and for my son.

Without a second thought, I hit the send button and put my phone back into my pocket. Just as I was going to ask Evan if he was ready, I noticed that he wasn't even in his bedroom anymore. I sighed, turned off the light, and made my way to the front of the apartment to see where he had gotten too.

He was perched in the bay window seat, with his knees tucked to his chest and his head on his arms. His little face was facing the window, so he was obviously looking out the window at something down below.

"Turtle, what are you looking at?" I asked, concerned.

Slowly, he turned his little face to look at me. "Uncle Jake isn't coming, is he?"

"Uhm.. How.. wh- why would you say that?" I stuttered. I knew Evan was a very intelligent little boy, but how in the hell did he know that?

"Cause his motorcycle isn't down there." He told me in a disappointed voice.

I went over to him and hugged his little body. "Honey, Uncle Jake is… busy. Helping Billy."

"Can I go over and help too? We don't have to get ice cream, I want to help Uncle Jake."

"Sweetheart, I think Uncle Jake would rather you be happy and get your ice cream." It broke my heart that Evan was willing to skip out on ice cream just to see Jacob. The man who was avoiding us both. "Maybe we can go see Uncle Jake some other time, okay? But right now, I know a little boy who is dying for some chocolate ice cream with sprinkles." I poked him lovingly in the tummy, and kissed his head.

We walked hand in hand to the door, and I grabbed my handbag from the table. I opened the door slightly, locked it from the inside, and shut it. Evan and I walked only one step out of our apartment before we were stopped.

I had run into a woman. Without looking up, I said "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that, excuse me."

The person put a hand on my shoulder, and I looked at them to see that it was Alice. Alice Cullen. She was dressed in a pair of dark-wash designer Bermuda shorts, and a top that looked like it came straight out of vogue. The scarf that was wound around her neck was a faint grey color that even I found beautiful. Her sunglasses were sitting perfectly atop her head with not a single hair out of place. Lastly, she looked stunning in a pair of black wedges that raised her height by at least six inches. Of course, she was dressed as if she were ready to walk the runway in a high end fashion show.

"Hello Bella, Evan!" She winked at the both of us, and pulled me in for a hug.

I was still in disbelief that she had come to my home, but I hugged her back.

"Uhm, hey.. Alice." I tried to smile.

She bit her lip. "I.. _saw_ that you two were going to get some ice cream, alone. So I thought that maybe I could join you? You know I love ice cream, Bella."

Automatically I knew that she wanted to talk with me. She said she loved ice cream, yet the girl never ate. Although I wasn't expecting her to tag along with us, I truly did miss Alice more than I could explain. She was my best friend at one point, and I missed her companionship more and more each day.

"That sounds great. Turtle, is it okay if Alice comes with us to get some ice cream?" No matter if I wanted her to come or not, Evan is my first priority and always will be. If he is not comfortable with something, it will not happen.

He looked from Alice, to me, and back to Alice again.

"Okay. But Alice, you have to hold my hand when we cross the street, cause Mommy says that if we don't then the cars might not see us. And that is bad, right Mommy?" Evan looked towards me.

I laughed. "Right, Turtle." I smirked at Alice. "Alice, it isn't far at all, just a block down the street. Evan and I usually walk, if that is okay with you?"

"Oh, of course. In fact, I walked here also. The weather outside is a teensy bit cloudy, just _perfect _for me." I saw her eyes widen as she said the last part. To any other human being, it would simply appear that Alice loved cloudy weather, but I knew better. This was the only time when she could be safe outside in society. When the sun's rays weren't shining down on her and her skin wasn't radiating diamond-like beams.

I took Evan's left hand in mine, and Alice took his right in hers'. We started to walk towards the elevator when Evan looked at Alice.

"Alice, your hand is really cold. Do you want one of my jackets from inside?" He said sweetly.

Alice and I shared a quick smile and glance towards each other.

"No thank you Evan." She said sweetly. "It's cold because before I came here, I was throwing ice at my big brother Emmett. Do you remember him?"

It was such a terrible lie, but Evan wouldn't know the difference. If the Cullen's were serious about sticking around for a while and being in my son and I's lives, then many small lies were going to have to be told just to make up for the Cullen's lifestyle…

* * *

"Wow, that's a lot! Did your Grandpa Charlie catch that many fish too?" Alice asked Evan.

As of now, we were sitting inside the local ice cream shop. Evan had finished his ice cream cone a few minutes ago and was now sitting lazily talking to Alice about his many fishing adventures with Charlie.

"No! Grandpa only caught four. Billy caught two. I was the winner." Evan boasted proudly, pointing to his chest.

Alice reached her hand across the table to give him a high five, which he returned. I laughed at the both of them. Alice was great with Evan, and it really surprised me how patient she was with his silly answers and questions.

"You should come fishing with my family sometime, Evan. My boyfriend Jasper catches the fish with his _bare hands." _Again, Evan was extremely interested in this true story of Alice's. I don't know who the bigger story teller was, Alice or Evan.

Evan gasped. "Mommy can I go fishing with Alice and Jazzle some day?"

"Honey, it's _Jasper_." I laughed and corrected him. "But… sure."

"That's what I said, Jazzle." He tried to look back at Alice, but something caught his eye. "Mommy! Can I go play in that thing?"

Evan was staring at the large play area that was inside of the ice cream shop. It was supervised by three employees, and appeared to be safe. Why not?

"Of course, but make sure you listen to the rules that the adults give you, okay? Don't get hurt." I told him.

He slipped off his flip flops and handed them to me before taking off into the large, colorful ball pit. Plastic balls flew in every direction as he emerged his little head to smile and me and put his thumb up in the air.

"Bella, he is adorable." Alice gushed. "He looks exactly like you."

I bit my lip. "Thanks, Alice. My favorite parts of him are those big beautiful eyes. When I look into them, I just can't deny him of anything. Those eyes can make me go weak at the knees.

"I've heard that before…" She whispered. "He really does miss you, Bella. I can see it in his eyes, he still loves you more than anything that this world has to offer. She reached her hand across the table and held it against my cheek. I leaned my face into palm as much as possible and closed my eyes, taking in the feeling of familiarity.

"Alice can we please… not talk about this now? I just…cant, I mean, I just…" I was getting chocked up.

She cut me off. "Say no more. I understand completely, sweetie. It's too soon, I get that. Uhm, how about we talk about Evan? You seem to like that."

"Alice, we can talk about him, I just-"

"No. I see that it hurts you, and I am a better friend than that, Bella. So, tell me about him. What are his favorite things?"

"Well. He loves to watch and play sports. Baseball is his favorite, but he likes all of them. Hmm, he obviously loves to go fishing. He and Charlie used to go every Sunday, but it hasn't been like that in a while. They really should go sometime, I know they both enjoy it. I actually think he has some sort of OCD, because the little guy is always going around rearranging whatever I do so that it 'fits his qualifications'. He refuses to take a bath unless there is some sort of music on. Oh wow, there are so many things I could tell you about him. He adores swimming, and taking walks along the beach, but if we do he _has_ to be barefoot. If you take him there and a grain of sand touches one of his shoes, he will freak out. His favorite super hero is Batman, and he is just mostly a little boy. He loves to play with toy cars and trucks, and when there is an opportunity to get dirty he is all over it." I laughed.

"How about colors? And foods?" She pressed.

I smiled at how interested she was in my son. I adored the fact that she accepted him. "Orange and blue are his two favorite colors. As far as food goes, he really isn't picky. His favorite is macaroni and cheese, chicken alfredo, or popcorn. I really don't get why he loves popcorn so much, but the only kind he will eat is the type that is covered in butter, and loaded with salt. Not exactly the healthiest thing, but that's Evan. Oh, and if his foods touch, he won't eat them. Like I said, OCD."

Alice giggled, and bit her lip. "What about TV? Does he like that?"

I scrunched my face up. "It depends. He will watch the shows designated for younger children… the interactive ones. Oddly enough, he loves to watch Animal Channel. Evan adores animals, actually."

"Is that why you call him turtle?" She asked.

"No." I shook my head. "He just reminds me of a little turtle. He is rather slow, but when he takes his time, it is amazing what he can accomplish. He is practically a genius stuck in a toddler's body. He's wise, but very silly. Therefore, he reminds me of a turtle. I used to call him that, and joke around with him, but the nickname just stuck."

She nodded, taking everything in. "Well, you know that I'm planning his birthday as we speak, right?"

"Wonderful." I groaned. She stuck her tongue out at me.

"Bella, it is just a regular party at the house, trust me, it is something you would approve of. Nothing to fret, I pinky swear." She started to smile. "Unless…"

"No. Way." I cut her off. "Just do something local, and that he would like. No big plans like flying to Disney World, or going to Europe. He is just a little boy."

"Fine." He grumbled, and took out her blackberry. "Here, tell me the preferred theme, and any other requests and I will put it all in here."

I just stared at her.

"Well. Do you have any suggestions, or anything that _must_ be a certain way? Any limits or… _anything_?" She seemed astonished.

"As much as I am going to regret this, no. Do whatever you think he would like. I personally don't want anything too big, but Evan is.. different. He loves attention, so… do anything. Just please keep it at the house." Honestly, as soon as the words came out of my mouth I regretted them, whether it was the truth or not.

She began going crazy with the keys on her phone. Occasionally she would look up at me, then smile and look back down to her screen. I was watching Evan as he mingled with another little boy. To me, it looked as if they were playing tag, but who knows. Games have changed from the time that I was a child.

"Bella!" Alice exclaimed, pulling my attention back to her. "How about a baseball theme? And we set up an authentic baseball diamond in the yard? We could have different activities at each base, or maybe the whole family could play a game with him? I'm trying to keep it low key here." She laughed.

"Uh-huh, sounds great Alice. He would love that." I told her sweetly.

"Oooooh, or a jungle theme! Like a safari or something? Oh my gosh, I have so much to do. I have to get a caterer, plan the cake, call the baker, find party favors, oh wow. So much to do, this is going to be great!" She squealed.

Alice went back to typing on her phone, and I was continued to watch Evan play with the other little kids. He was being polite and socializing with made me exuberant. I loved the fact that he could make friends. I waved to him, and when he turned to look at me, his eyes got extremely big and a wide grin spread across his face.

"Uncle Jake!" He yelled. He hopped down from the play equipment, and ran towards my direction.

What did he mean Uncle Jake? Evan ran straight for me, but then passed me. I looked around to see where he was going, and when I finally set my eyes on him, he was in the arms of Jacob. Jacob's face looked as if someone squirted a lemon in it. I didn't know whether he was pained or angered, but either way, seeing him like this didn't give me a good feeling.

He stormed over to the table Alice and I were seated at. He stared her down and she glared back just as hard.

"What are you doing here?" I asked in a rushed voice.

He looked at me in disgust. "I came because I knew Evan would want to see me. I _thought_ you would too, but I see that I've been replaced. Again."

Once again, Jacob stared daggers at Alice, who wrinkled her nose.

"Excuse me, could you please put the child down? You are going to have him smelling like a nasty, wet, wild animal." She grimaced.

I bit my lip, and held my breath. Oh no.

"Here" Jake sat Evan in my lap. "I'd set him on the ground, but I would be too afraid he would get a filthy _leech_ stuck to him."

"Please, both of you.. stop." I whispered. "Evan, can you please go play?"

He nodded silently and took off again. Before he got to the play place, he turned around to wave. "Bye Uncle Jake, I love you." He said quietly.

Jake looked back to Evan, and forced on a fake smile. "Love you too, Buddy." He whipped his head back to Alice. "Great going bloodsucker, you upset him!" Jacob said in a harsh, hushed tone.

Alice scoffed. "I'm pretty sure your mini anger attack is what frightened him. I have only been nice to the little boy since I have met him."

"Yeah well you _weren't_ _supposed_ to meet him. I thought you demons left for good."

"Jake!" I scolded him. "Stop it, _now._ She did nothing wrong… so drop it!"

He practically growled. "Oh, right, I mean her family only left you so that you were in a depression. I mean you only wanted to die, right? You stopped eating, and cried yourself to sleep each night, but oh, it isn't a big deal, right, Bella?"

Alice stood up and walked in between Jacob and I. Oh no. No, no, no, no, no.

"Don't talk to her like that. Who raised you, a pack of wolves?" Alice spat. "That's what it smells like!"

"Wow, so funny. Why don't you bite me?" Jake said sarcastically.

"Trust me, I would never do that. One, I am civilized, and two, you would taste worse than garbage. Your stench is raunchy, I cannot imagine the horrible, vile taste that you would emit."

Jacob began to tremble. His hands were clenched, and I could see him close his eyes tightly. No, this couldn't happen here. I touched his arm lightly, and he ripped it away from me, and slightly pushed my body away. My jaw dropped, and I took a step back. Alice put her arm around me, and rubbed my shoulder.

"You need to leave. _Now_. Before I call someone who I know will _make you_ leave. Don't you _ever_ touch her again, do you hear me you dirty mongrel? Don't you lay one infected paw on her, or so help me I will annihilate you." Alice hissed.

"_Don't_ threaten me with you psychopathic brother, I can handle his emotional ass." Jake said through clenched teeth. "Bella, if I walk out of here, and you don't follow…. I'll know. I'll know you chose the filthy vamps over me yet again. This time, I _won't_ come back to you."

Without another word Jacob turned the opposite way and stormed out of the shop. On his way out, he slammed the door so hard that I could feel the ground shake.

He was gone.

Alice pulled me in for a hug as the tears fell. She held me close and rubbed my back as I cried into her neck.

How could I let this happen?

**Thank you, thank you, and thank you for reading! Sorry it took so long to update, I went to the beach with my best friend for a week and when I came back I had a bit of writer's block. But anywho, the chapter is here. (:**

**I am going to try something new here. FOR EVERYONE WHO REVIEWS, I WILL SEND YOU THE FIRST 650 WORDS OF THE NEW CHAPTER AS SOON AS I HAVE IT DONE, I PROMISE! I want to see how many reviews I can get, because I can see that a very large number of you guys are reading. So, if you would like a sneak preview of the next chapter BEFORE ANYONE ELSE, REVIEW! Be sure to send me your email address. Thank you very much!**


	5. Family

**This chapter is a little bit of a filler, but it shows how the Cullen's are dedicated to helping Bella, and I really wanted to portray just how much Evan likes Edward (a lot). Sorry the preview took so long to send, at first I tried to get my email to send them, but when I got you guys' response, fanfiction made the emails hidden. I am guessing it is because they would create a link which isn't included in the format, either way, IF YOU REVIEW FOR THIS CHAPTER, I WILL SEND YOU THE FIRST 1,500 WORDS TO THE NEXT CHAPTER. It will be done much sooner seeing as I know how to send the previews now, Please review, and I will review back for you. Thank you for your time (: -Kywardbbyx21**

"Mommy, I don't want story time tonight." Evan told me as I helped him climb into bed.

He positioned himself so that he was comfortable, and I pulled his comforter over his little body so that it reached his neck. His hands poked through and moved the blanket around until he found a way that he would be satisfied with. Lastly, he blinked once and smiled up to me to show that he was ready for me to continue our conversation.

I put my hand on his cheek and rubbed my thumb over his silky-smooth skin. "What do you mean you don't want story time? Honey, we have story time every night... We always have. It's your favorite part of going to bed. Are you feeling okay?"

I removed my hand from his cheek, and put the back of it to his forehead, feeling his temperature. He didn't feel any warmer than usual, and his color looked to be normal.

"Yes. I feel okay." He nodded.

"Well then why don't you want to hear a story, sweetie?"

It bothered me that my son didn't want to hear a story, like always. Ever since the day he was born, I had told him tales of my imagination at night. It was sort of like a mother-son bonding ritual for us. I would begin the story, and then Evan would throw in his own ideas as the plot progressed. We usually ended up with mud monsters living alongside giant G.I. Joe action figures, or new super heroes playing sports alongside the stars.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I'm a big boy now; I don't need a little boy bedtime story."

My jaw dropped. "Uhm, what if I told you a big boy story?" This truly baffled me. I knew Evan was growing up, that was obvious, but was he _really_ getting too big for his stories?

"No, I don't think so. Can I tell you a story instead?" he asked politely.

"Sure." I reached down to kiss his forehead.

"Are you ready?" I nodded, and he proceeded. "So once upon a time there was a boy named Evan. He liked to play with cars and baseballs. One day he turned into a superhero so that he could save his town from the mean guy named Mr. Icky. Then everyone loved him and he was happy. So he went back to his Mommy's house and she made him a snack cause he did a good job at saving people. The end!"

Evan giggled and put his head under his covers. I laughed along with him, and gently tugged on the blanket, only enough to reveal one of his eyes.

"That was the _best_ story I have _ever_ heard." I whispered. Evan yawned under his comforter, and I pulled it down further to reveal his face. "I believe it is time for a certain little boy to go to sleep, don't you think?"

"I'm tired." He admitted while rolling onto his side, and facing my body. "Goodnight Mommy."

I leaned my face down to his to kiss him goodnight. "Goodnight Turtle, I'll see you tomorrow okay? Mommy has work, so you will be going to Mrs. Nora's."

"Will Rhyan be there?" His face lit up with excitement.

Rhyan was Evan's best friend that also went to Mrs. Nora's daycare. "I'm not sure, I think Rhyan's Mommy has tomorrow off, but we will find out tomorrow." I smiled.

"Okay, goodnight Mommy. I love you."

"I love you more. Sweet dreams, baby." I ran my thumb along his arm one last time before I walked to his door, and turned out the light. The only light was now coming from his soccer night-light across the room. I smiled at the peaceful sound of silence, and shut his door quietly behind me.

Once in the hallway, I slowly blew air out of my mouth, and ran my fingers through my hair. I leant my head against the wall, and forced all my weight on one foot in an attempt to keep the tears back. Now that Evan was safely tucked in bed, I could let it all out. I always try to hinder my sadness or anger while in front of my son, but as of right now, I was alone and could let it all out. Still not wanting to let the tears fall, I took a few more deep breaths and made my way to the living room. I took a seat on the couch and gently closed my eyes.

How could I let today go the way it had? I had planned a fun, simple day with my son. In some ways I can understand why Jacob would be upset, yet there is no reason for him to act the way he had. I am a grown woman with a child; I can make my own decisions. If he would have just came with us to get ice cream in the first place, none of this would have happened… Oh what am I saying? How could I do this to him? Must I always do something wrong to make him despise me?

"I'm sorry Jacob." I whispered softly in the silence. I knew there was no way he could hear me, but I needed to get my feelings out, I can't just keep them bottled up all the time. I have been down that road, and the end is not worth the travel. "I'm sorry that I can't always make you happy, and I am more than sorry that I can't be the right kind of friend for you. You deserve so much better than the relationship that I gave you, yet you would never yearn for anything else."

The tears started to drip down my skin and I began to breathe unevenly. "What can I do Jake? What can I do to make you realize that this is what I want? What I _need?_ Things don't have to change, it can still be you and I just as it has been for the past three years. We don't need to part ways, we can stay close, Jacob. Please don't make me choose…"

I jammed my eyes shut and just let the waterfall of sadness roll gently from my eyes. My mouth was clenched shut so that no sobs could escape and wake my sleeping Evan. My chest rattled with each shallow breath I drew and collapsed with each exhale I performed. Why must he do this to me? Jacob, the one man that was there for me when I was afraid of any other's touch has left me to suffer with my decisions.

I rubbed my temples and tried to calm myself down. I was beginning to get a migraine from the sudden increase in stress and tears, so I ruefully sat up from the couch and walked to the bathroom. I opened the medicine cabinet and reached in to grab my Zomig. I tore open one of the packets, and sat the pill on my tongue. After filling up a cup with water, I took a sip and swallowed the tablet. In making my way back to the living room, I grabbed a pillow and blanket from my room. I turned on the television and just tried to relax my body. In about an hour or so my headache will be gone and I may feel a little better, so maybe then I could go back to bed, but as for right now, laying in the living room was just fine with me.

The pictures on the screen flashed by yet made no sense to me. I had the sound turned down low so that it didn't aggravate me, or disrupt Evan's sleep. The bright colors would appear, then disappear and a new scene would take place. My mind grew bored and heavy due to my medication and I could feel my eyelids begin to droop. Should I force myself up and actually get dressed and ready for bed? No, no, I will simply close my eyes for five minutes tops. I gently let my eyelids come together and I immediately felt relieved. My exhaustion was starting to seep from my body, only to be replaced with tranquility.

Without my permission, my body drifted into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

There was the sound of shuffling materials, and a small banging noise followed by two different hushed whispers. Ugh, could they please be quiet? I was trying to sleep. Wait… they? Who were _they_? In my apartment?

My eyes snapped open and I jerked my body into an upright position faster than I had anticipated, causing me to feel slightly dizzy. Of course, clumsy me. I brought my hand to my head and closed my eyes momentarily.

"Bella, are you alright?" A familiar voice asked.

No, no, no. My heart jumped and a ringing noise began to radiate in my ears. Please, not here; not now. I lightly winced under my breath and the voice came closer to me.

The voice was now beside me, sitting on my sofa.

"How can you already be injured if you have just woken up?" He lightly chuckled. When I didn't have a reply, he spoke again. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. Please, let me help you. Do you need a drink? A blanket?"

His icy hands brushed past me to pick up the blanket that was on my opposite side. He set it on my lap and wrapped it around my thighs. His fingers lightly trailed along the skin which made me shudder, but not from the temperature difference between us.

"Edward, calm down, it is just a head rush. I sat up too quickly because I thought there were strangers in my house." I sighed. "Speaking of which, uhm, why… h-how… what?"

Beside me was Edward, and in front of me was Alice, casually sitting at the dining room table with a small bag placed in her lap.

Edward glanced down at the floor guiltily. "Well, Alice informed me of the events that took place at the ice cream shop. After my anger subsided due to the vile and repulsive things the _mongrel_ said to you, I was quite worried that you were upset. I thought I could come over and be of some sort of assistance to you…"

My heart stung at the mention of Jacob. "I'm fine." I lied.

He put his finger under my chin, and lifted it so that I was looking into his eyes. They were a beautiful golden color just as I had remembered. He must have been hunting prior to coming to my apartment.

"Don't lie." He barely breathed. His intoxicating scent was blown into my face. "Bella, it is okay to hurt. I heard what happened… and… I'm sorry that he said those things to you. _Please_, don't think about him."

I could feel the tugging in my heart. I wanted so bad to just lean forward just an inch. That is all I would need for our lips to connect, connect for the first time in over three years… I wanted this, but I couldn't have it. I can't get hurt again; I simply cannot set myself up for that intense amount of pain _again_.

I nodded and then yawned, not saying anything.

"When I arrived, you were sleeping." He continued. "I- I sort of watched you for... a while. I hope that doesn't bother you, I just… I missed it so much, Bella. You were sleeping so peacefully until your phone started to go off due to a text message. You began to wake, so I opened your phone. I didn't hit any buttons, but the message just popped open by itself. Please do not be angry with me."

"That's okay, I don't care." Immediately my body perked up, thinking that the text could have been from Jacob. Had he forgiven me? "Erm. Who was it from?"

"A woman named Nora. She said that she had come down with the flu and that she unfortunately could not watch over Evan tomorrow due to her illness." He looked sympathetic.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and blew out the air that was harboring in my lungs.

"Great." I said sarcastically. "That is Evan's babysitter. She watches him during the day if I have to work. I don't have a back up daycare provider, so I guess I will just have to call in sick tomorrow. My boss won't be too happy about it but I guess I have no other choice." My voice was full of regret.

"Now, now. Don't worry, I have got it all figured out. This is where Alice comes into play. It is actually the reason that I called her over." He gestured to Alice who held up the bag that was on her lap. She waved to me, and I yawned in response. The drowsiness had returned. "Once I read the text from Nora, I thought of your job. I knew that you would need someone you _trust_ to watch over Evan, hence is why I called Alice. She is your best friend and I knew that she would be willing to look after him tomorrow, right Alice?"

"Oh of course! I adore the little guy. Bella, if you need my help for _anything, _anything at all, don't ever hesitate to ask." She told me. "Evan and I could do tons of fun things tomorrow whilst you are at work."

Edward called Alice and asked her to look over Evan? That's… so… thoughtful. I do trust Alice, despite the absence she presented me with in the past. I'm certainly not holding a grudge because of it, and there is no reason to think of it at this time. The Cullen's were back… for now.

"Alice that would be so helpful if you could watch him, but- but you just met him a week ago. I couldn't possibly ask you to watch him for a few hours. I would hate feeling like I am pushing my responsibility on you. He is my son; I am the one who should have to deal with the bumps in the road. Nora getting sick is just one of those bumps, and I am his mother. You shouldn't have to rearrange your schedule just so that you can look over him." It was true. Having Alice watch Evan would mean that I could go into work tomorrow. If I called in sick, it could jeopardize my promotion that I had just recently been given. This job means so much to me but I can't have my friends and family covering for me all the time just so I can keep it.

"You don't want me watching him?" She looked genuinely hurt. "Don't you trust me? I know I made a mistake with leaving, but Bella I was there for you, you… you're my best friend. Watching Evan would be my _pleasure_."

"No, no, no, it isn't that at all! Alice of course I trust you! I trust you with everything; it's just that I would feel like I was taking advantage of you if I asked you to watch my son that you barely know. "

She scoffed. "Please just listen to what I have to say, Bella. Can you do that for me?" I sat there silently and nodded. Typical Alice. "Look, I know that what has happened in the past has… hurt you. And Bella, you have no idea how _truly sorry_ I am for that. Honestly, I wish I could take it all back, but I _can't._ What has happened is done. It's over with, and now it is time that we move on. I want what we used to have; I want us to be best friends like we were before."

I tried to protest to let her know that I still see her as a best friend, but she glared at me which caused me to stop my attempt.

"I wasn't finished. Anyways, I know that I have been replaced by that nasty smelling dog of yours." I winced, thinking back of Jacob. "But here is where I can work to make things better. I can be there for you, and I can be a helping hand when you need one. Don't you see? Bella, you need assistance, please just let me volunteer! I wouldn't even take the little guy shopping! We could play cars, or video games… Emmet… Emmett and Jazz could teach him sports, you said he likes those. Please, give me a chance to be in your son's life. I am staying in yours, no matter how you feel about it. If this… _family_ or whatever you want to call us has any chance of staying together, we need to be close to Evan, because he is your priority. Please, give us the chance to love your baby boy." She finished her plea with such sincerity it made me want to cry.

It never occurred to me that the Cullen's felt so strongly about being a part of my son's life. Maybe, just maybe this could work. Maybe Evan could become close to the Cullen's –if he wanted to, and only then- and maybe we could be a family again. Perhaps not the type of family I used to have in mind, such as marrying their beautiful son, but possibly a dysfunctional, _loving_ family.

"Does it _really_ mean that much to you, Alice?" I asked, knowing she would tell me the truth.

"Yes. It means the world to me." She half smiled, already knowing that she had won. "Besides, I already have his bag packed." Alice held up the little bag that was in her lap. "Clothes, toys, a hat, shoes, and a list of his favorite snacks. Everything is already prepared, all I need is your permission and a list of any allergies he may have. Food allergies, environmental allergies, anything. Of course Carlisle is only a call away, but I know how you worry about him, and I would just feel so much better if I knew what to keep him away from."

Wow. Alice seemed like a little miniature mother herself. The way that she had already gathered up the necessities that Evan would need, amazed me. She even thought to ask me about things that could potentially put him in danger if he came into contact with them. There was no doubt in my mind that she could handle this, and soar with flying colors. Giving her the permission she was searching for would be no problem.

"As long as you don't mind, and _want_ to watch him, then I would love for you to look after him. I have to warn you though, he is feisty, stubborn and sarcastic… but he is a total sweetheart, and utterly beautiful." I smiled.

"Just like his mother." I heard Edward whisper.

My heart jumped, did a flip and fell to my stomach.

* * *

**Edwards POV**

It was around eleven thirty, and as of now, Evan was sitting on a bean bag chair alongside Emmett and Jasper, watching him set up his gaming systems. Alice and Rosalie were seated across the room on one of the couches taking pictures of Evan as he 'bonded' with my brother's. I wouldn't exactly call it bonding, yet then again I was still a tad bit jealous that I could not partake in the activities that my brother's could do with him.

"What does that do?" Evan asked enthusiastically? "Can I touch it?"

Emmett laughed. "This right here is called an x-box 360 and it is pretty much the key to a man's life."

"It doesn't look like a key." He shook his brunette covered head.

"Well kiddo, that's because it isn't an _actual_ key. It is just a metaphor. I know the x-box isn't a key, but it sort of has the same purpose… to a gamer that is." Jasper chimed in and grabbed a controller.

"What's a gamer?"

"A gamer is someone who enjoys playing games, Evan. I'm a gamer and so is Jasper." Emmett turned on the television, and the screen showed the lime green and white opening to his beloved x-box.

Evan tapped Jasper's arm in an attempt to get his attention. "How about Edward?"

I smiled at the mentioning of my name. It made me ecstatic that he brought up _my_ name when I wasn't even involved in the conversation. It almost made me think that the two of us had some sort of special bond that he didn't share with either of my brothers.

"No." Emmett's booming laughed filled the room. "Eddie boy would rather play the piano, or read. He has no skill, little buddy. I bet you could kick his ass at Madden."

A low, quiet growl escaped my lips. Normally I wouldn't care if Emmett provoked me, or mocked me, but I surely didn't want Evan thinking badly of me just because I do not enjoy playing mindless, pointless video games for twelve hours straight.

"Kick his what?" Evan giggled. He has heard Emmett swear, wonderful.

I threw a decorative pillow at Emmett and nailed him right in the neck. He whipped his head in my direction and I glared at him. _Don't you dare repeat what you just said. Bella wants his vocabulary __**clean**__._ I mouthed.

Emmett coughed. "Kick his grass. Edward has grass." Reality sunk in and he began laughing harder now than he had in the first place. Alice, Jasper and Rosalie joined in with the giggling and I was immensely appreciative of the fact that Evan did not comprehend Emmett's perverted shot at humor.

I sighed at their immaturity and went back to watching Evan's brown eyes glow when Emmett would allow him to press a couple buttons on the controller, or when Jasper would tell him what was going on in the game. He was easily entertained, and it was obvious to me that he loved attention and interaction: something this family could give him plenty of. If only I could prove to Bella that we could be the perfect family for him. He already has the most adoring mother a child could hope to receive, but the child did not have a fatherly figure. My heart yearned to be that position for him. I may not have known him that long, but he already had a place deep in my heart. A place that even Bella couldn't be found. The two types of adoration for each of the Swan's was completely different, yet utterly the same.

The boy asked tons of questions, and we were more than happy to answer them. My family and I weren't really used to having a child around, so even the things that would normally irritate a human intrigued us. Evan was unbelievably smart for his age, so his dialogue was quite simple to understand. He could easily tell us when he was hungry, tired, annoyed, bored, happy, anything really. Having him around was like having another Cullen in the house. If only that were true…

I could read everyone's mind in the room… _except _for Evan's. Alice was debating whether or not to put a new outfit on Evan because he had worn the one he had on for a few hours, Rosalie wishes she had a child of her own and it truly pained me to know that her pleas would never be granted. Emmett was screaming profanities in his head about how the game must be defective because if it were perfectly fine, he would not be losing the game as he is now, and Jasper was just thankful to be winning. I squinted my eyes at Bella's son, trying to see if maybe I concentrated harder, that I could get even a _glimpse_ of what he was thinking. It would be phenomenal to know what he thought of my family so far, or even to know what he was thinking at this very moment in time.

Time passed, and eventually I could see it on his face that Evan was growing bored with watching Emmett and Jasper try to crush each other on the idiotic football game. My suspicions were confirmed when his voice reached the air.

"Aunt Alice?" All of our heads snapped towards Evan. He just called her _Aunt_ Alice, without any provoking from her. She had never once insinuated that she would like to be called _Aunt_ Alice, but I could tell she was elated about the surprise.

"Yes, Evan?" Her grin was a mile wide, and there was a twinkle in her eyes that I have never seen before.

Something about Evan made the members of my family light up. He was addictive to be around without even trying. As oddly as it seemed _we_, were the ones fighting over _his _attention.

"Uhm, can I go color?" His small voice seemed full of hope.

I smiled to myself at the fact that he was getting exciting over something as simple as a box of fresh crayons and a blank sheet of paper or a new coloring book. Alice had stocked the house full of age appropriate things and gave Evan a tour earlier this morning. It amazed me that the things he was most interested in were the things that involved a little bit of thinking and creativity, such as coloring.

"Well of course!" Alice said cheerfully.

She and Rosalie began to get up but froze when Emmett and Jasper started making rushed noises.

"Woah, woah, woah, babe. You gotta stay here and watch me kick Jazz's a-" Emmett caught himself. "Grass. We're tied, and I want you to be here when I win so that you can see my new high score."

Rosalie scoffed. "Honestly?"

He nodded and Jasper once again chimed in. "You too, darling. I want you to see me take Em _down_."

The girls looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

"Well if we stay here, who is going to help Evan color? He can't exactly color in here, he needs some place quiet to concentrate. We certainly can't just leave him alone in a room, which is child neglect." Alice scoffed.

This was the perfect opportunity to get some more alone time with Evan, and form a bond.

"I'll take him downstairs to color, Alice." I offered. "While we are down there, he can get a snack and a drink."

She bit her lip. "Are you sure? Because I seriously don't mind leaving the guys up here to play their game. I feel bad for putting him on you when I'm the one who volunteered to watch him in the first place."

"Alice, he is no trouble at all, and I want to watch him."I nodded. "Besides, I know how _immature_ they both are. You two stay up here and support their non-existent audacity, and Evan and I will go do whatever he likes."

"Thanks Edward." She smiled sincerely. "If he gets anything on his shirt, there are plenty more in the closet in one of the guest bedrooms, just grab him one of those."

I rolled my eyes and ignored her. Of course she would be the type of person to buy a whole new wardrobe for a one-day babysitting duty.

"Evan, are you ready to go downstairs?" I asked politely.

He nodded and hopped out of his seat. His little legs propelled him to the door and he waited for me there. I smiled to him, and we began to walk towards the stairs. Without any warning, I felt his tiny hand grasp my palm and squeeze my fingers lightly. To me it felt as if a feather was being placed in my hand, but in reality I knew that he was holding it. My smile stretched to the corners of my cheeks. Though I was ecstatic about his gesture, I didn't want to make a huge deal out of it, because I didn't want him to feel uncomfortable. I wanted him to be completely at ease, and feel as if he could be safe and happy around me.

We reached the large dining room table and I pulled out a chair for him. He climbed into it with a small grunt and I chuckled at his independence. I walked over to one of the cabinets that lined the wall, and pulled out the pack of 120 colorful Crayola crayons.

"Would you rather have a sheet of paper, or a coloring book? Aunt Alice picked up Cars, Finding Nemo, Sports pages, Foods, Super Heroes, and Zoo animals, so whichever of these interests you, go ahead and choose." I told him, setting the crayons in front of him.

"Can I just have a piece of paper?" He has no hesitation in his answer. "I want to make my _own _picture."

Without a second passing, I had the blank paper setting in front of him and he had a crayon in his hand. The color was labeled 'apricot' and he began drawing a circle, then another circle beside the first. The second was lower than the first, yet had the same circumference. His miniature tongue poked out of his mouth as he concentrated.

"Would you like a drink while you colored?" I asked. "Or a snack?"

He never took his eyes off of his progressing drawing. "Can I have Goldfish and some juice?"

"I'll be right back with that. If you need me, I am just in the other room." I gently pat his warm shoulder and made my way to the kitchen. Once there, I opened the cabinet, pulled out a cup and filled it halfway with some pomegranate-strawberry juice. Next I grabbed a plate and scattered two handfuls of the cheddar flavored goldfish onto it. Not wanting him to be alone for too long, I swiftly walked back into the dining room and sat down beside him. While setting his snack in front of him, I noticed that his drawing had quickly come to life. Now visible was what appeared to be people, four to be exact.

The first was the tallest, and had golden eyes that were paired with wild reddish brown hair. It was holding what appeared to be the hand of the second stick figure. Person number two was extremely short, and had brown eyes with brown lines for hair. This small creature was grasping the hand of person number three who was obviously a woman with deep brown eyes and wavy brunette hair down past her shoulders. She was shorter than person number one, yet much taller than person number two. The fourth figure in the drawing was linking arms with person two, and she too was a female. Her hair was black and near her neck. This person's eyes matched the eyes of the first, and she was shorter than person number one and three. Each person on the page had a beautiful pink smile plastered in the middle of their circle-face.

For a child, the drawing was exquisite! It has details that I would imagine were far beyond his comprehension level. If I were correct as to whom the people were, Evan had an amazing sense of observation when it came to capturing people using his eyes.

"Do you like it?" He asked, biting his lip just as Bella used to. He set his pink crayon down and looked up at me with expecting eyes. "This one is me." He pointed to the smallest stick figure on the piece of paper.

"I love it Evan. You did your eyes perfectly, and I think you drew your Mother very well, she is beautiful." I gushed, truly mesmerized with his talent for art.

"How about Aunt Alice? Do you think she is good too?" He paused. "Her hair was hard."

"Oh, I think it looks _perfect._" I drew out the last word. I touched the first person in the picture. "Is this Uncle Edward?"

I knew I probably shouldn't have forced the name 'Uncle' in front of my name, but I wanted to see if he would push it away, or take it as his own. The silence was killing me as he squinted his eyes. I should have just kept my mouth closed, and let him explain the picture to me himself, now I had upset him.

"No, it's my dad." Evan was sure of himself.

I took another glance towards the picture and now I was the one squinting _my_ eyes. I may not be an expert at studying children's drawings, but I was more than one trillion percent sure that the first figure with the reddish brown hair was me. He has the golden eyes and even the style of me hair. Besides, from what Bella has told me, Evan's father had passed away long before he could remember what his appearance looked like. I was positive that Bella would not keep pictures of his father lying around whether he was Evan's blood relative or not.

"Are… are you sure?" I breathed "He looks sort of like me, don't you think?"

He sighed. "He _is_ you, I said that."

This was something that even I was confused with. How could the figure be myself and Evan's father? I was nothing like that vile creature, not even close…

"But.." I lead on.

"Look, he has your hairs, and your tallness." Evan stubbornly directed me to each part of the drawing. "And your eyeballs. He _is_ you, my Dad. You're my Daddy, aren't you?" He smiled to me, and if I could cry I know that happy tears would be strolling down my cheeks.

**I know that was kind of drastic, but I really wanted to show that Evan ADORES Edward and the Cullen's, keep this in mind. He is closest to Alice and Edward, but he is fond of them all. Bella does **_**NOT**_** know that Evan called Edward 'Daddy'… hmm… wonder how she will react…. Jake is still ignoring Bella because he can't face his problems. Haha, I'm Team Edward in case you could not tell (:**

**IF YOU REVIEW, I WILL SEND YOU THE PREVIEW, YET THIS TIME, IT WILL BE 1,500 WORDS! I SHOULD HAVE THE PREVIEW DONE IN THREE-FOUR DAYS, AND THIS TIME I WILL GET IT TO YOU SOONER SINCE I KNOW HOW TO SEND THEM NOW. Please stay with me on this story, things are about to get extremely interesting between Bella and Edward.**

**PLEASE REVIEW, I WILL REVIEW BACK, thank you (: -Kywardbbyx21**


	6. These arms

**Sorry about the delay, my school just recently started, and I got assigned a shit ton of homework. Haha. Yes, I know, there was no preview for this, but there is a reason. It is terrible to send through fanfiction, because the format gets messed up. I can't see you guys' emails, even if you send them to me; I honestly think it is just fanfiction. Please don't hate me; the previews will now be on a website, my blog. THE LINK IS ON MY PROFILE. PLEASE REVIEW, I this chapter is a little shaky, but hey, we all have those writer's block moments. **

**Thank you for everything so far, you guys are great. I love you. –Kywardbyx21**

**Edward POV**

"So he came straight out and said 'you're my Dad?'" Jasper asked _again_.

"Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. YES. For the millionth time, he came straight out and called me his Dad. I did not in any way hint towards the word father or anything like that. In fact, I said 'Uncle' which is extremely different than that of a 'Daddy'." I explained to him. "I… I- I liked it when he called me that… but I don't know if I should or not. Of course it is a great thing that he feels comfortable and safe around me, but is it bad that he feels so close to me so soon?"

My brother lightly tapped my shoulder with his palm. "Edward, I think you can answer your own question there. Do _you_ think it is a negative thing that he thinks so highly of you and that maybe he loves you?"

"No. Of course not." I said immediately, almost too quick to _not_ be defensive. "I see absolutely nothing wrong with it, not one single flaw."

"Okay, now, what do you think of him?" Jazz paused. "What do you want for him?"

I deliberated for a half a second, and then spoke from my smile. "I think Evan is wonderful, absolutely terrific. The way he understands people and observes the smallest details about them amazes me, and I think that he is unbelievably intelligent. He is very adorable for a child, but with those brown eyes how could he not be? To say that he is entertaining is an understatement. I could sit and watch him play all day, or even just listen to the sound of his laughter ring through the house. I _want_ him in our home, Jazz. I want him to be a part of our family; I want to watch him grow up. I want nothing more than to watch him mature and develop into the person that I have a feeling he will be." My breathing shifted and was now ragged and uneven. "As of right now, Evan will be growing up with a perfect, and I mean undoubtedly perfect mother… but you know what? That just isn't enough. His biological 'father' did a horrible thing that I will never forgive and I thank every single star that he paid the price of his crime, but where does that leave Evan? Right smack dab in the middle of confusion. Yes, he has Charlie, and… unfortunately, he may have the mutt if he ever mans up, but that just isn't enough to amount to what he deserves. Evan deserves only the finest, and that includes a fatherly figure that will love him and care for him. A man that isn't too arrogant to give him a hug or kiss to show affection, someone who will be there for him, and answer his questions. I could be that person in his life, Jasper. I could tuck him in at night, I could make him his favorite meals, I could teach him anything he could ever wish to know, I could be the face he looks for when he is upset. It's not even that I _could_ do those things, I most certainly would, and… someday… no matter when that day arrives, I will do those things. Because unlike any others, I'm not giving up on him. I'm not giving up on Bella, I'm not giving up on Evan, and I'm not giving up on the family I know we will be one day."

Jasper shook his head, but I could see the small, slowly spreading grin. "Edward, listen. You're my brother, and you have been for an extremely long time. I know when you are being completely idiotic with your schemes, yet again; I know when you are truly serious about something. From what I have not only heard, but felt, it's easy to see that you love Evan, and still are head over heels in love with his mother. If you can prove to Bella that you can be there for her and her son, then I don't see any fall-outs. That's just the thing though, convincing Bella. You crushed her, Edward. You transformed her world to a new meaning of the word 'hell'."

I winced and he apologetically sighed, then continued.

"I'm not trying to make you feel any worse than you already do, I am just telling you the truth, as I promised to do so." He looked me straight in the eyes and I could feel the intensity of his words before he even spoke them. "I know you hurt. I know Bella hurts, and to a certain extent, Evan hurts. The poor child has no idea about what his mother went through, yet he is smart enough to know that something is off. Look Edward, if you are serious about this… if you honestly are ready to make a commitment to the Swan's, then of course I will fully give you all of my support, but I have to know that this is what you want. Forever. Once you get Bella back into your life, don't you _dare_ think of leaving her again. Brother's or not, I will sink my teeth so far into your skin that you won't have any left. Do you understand? Once this is all said and done, you can't go back."

His threatening tone at the end almost frightened me, but his compassion is what shone through more than anything. "Jazz, I would never dream of hurting that woman again. I made a wrong choice, and I know that. Leaving her was most definitely the biggest mistake I have ever made in my lifetime, and I learned from it. If by a miracle I can get her back, I'm never going to let her go, Jasper, and that's a promise that I will forever honor."

"Good." He breathed a sigh of relief. "Because you know what will happen if you don't. You break her heart, I break you."

"Since when did you become so protective of Bella?" I asked. It was nowhere near a bad thing, just something new that I've never noticed.

"Ever since my moronic brother left her and turned into an emotional wreck. Admit it, you are lost without her. Every single cell in your body yearns to be with her, and you were too stupid to listen to them."

"Yes, I can easily admit that I am a wreck without Bella in my life, but I won't be for long, because like I said… I'm not giving up. As soon as Bella arrives to pick up Evan, I am telling her what happened, and I am telling her how I feel. This is going to work Jazz, I can tell." I smiled.

"What if she doesn't… what if this isn't what _she_ wants?" He stammered. "I know this is what you want and need, but Edward, this involves her too. Almost more than you."

That sunk in. I hadn't truly thought about that until now. "Jasper, I'd do the only think I could do. If Bella honestly does not want the same things I wish to achieve, then I will proudly accept her demands, but I promise you, I'm not stopping."

Jasper's eyes darted to the driveway and then back to me. "Well, congratulations, Bro. You won't have to wait much longer because a certain someone is coming down the road as we speak." He smirked, mock punched my arm and casually walked up the stairs.

How could I miss the sound of Bella's car cruising down the back road, how had I not noticed her intoxicating scent coming closer and closer with each passing second? How could I deny the footsteps that were now walking on my porch?

My air in my lungs got hitched in my throat, and for once in my life, I wish I could turn invisible.

* * *

**Bella's POV**

"Edward, really. What is it?" He had called me into the garden behind the house and as of now, we were sitting on the large swing. There were many other times that I had been in this exact spot, yet those were times when Edward and I were together as a couple. Sitting here remembering the precious moments we had shared made me feel awkward and insecure. Not only in my mind, but my actual body felt as if it were doing something wrong by setting in this swing. That I wasn't supposed to be here… or that maybe I was, just on different terms… previous terms.

"Bella, I don't know how to say this. There is so much that I wish I could tell you." He carefully reached his frozen hand to my cheek and placed a loose strand of hair back into place. I gasped and tried to cover up, but it was obvious he had heard it. I felt my cheeks begin to warm up and I knew for a fact they were now a rosy pink color. My blush would give away my true reaction but at this time, that wasn't what my mind and heart was focused on. Right then and there I witnessed something that could make me go weak in the knees. My favorite crooked smile formed on his perfectly sculpted face and if I hadn't known better, I would have believed Edward had permanently taken my breath away. "You have no idea what that does to me. So beautiful."

The blush grew and I swallowed hard before speaking. "Please. Tell me what you need to get across." I changed the subject, not wanting to focus on the feeling that was now surrounding my whole abdomen. Butterflies, and lots of them.

"First, I want you to know that not a single member of my family minds this. We did not encourage it, nor did we discourage it. What I am about to tell you is one hundred percent from Evan's personal thoughts, and to be honest, my family enjoys it…" He led off.

Evan is involved? "Did he cuss? I'm really sorry about that, Edward, I try to keep it clean around him, but you know how Jacob is. And I mean the rest of the pack doesn't exactly keep the profanity to a minimum." I really hope he didn't say anything too explicit.

"No, he did not say one improper word the whole duration of his visit. In fact, Emmett let a word slip, but don't worry I informed him of your wishes to keep Evan's mouth as… innocent as possible." He lightly chuckled. I missed that sound, it was one I hadn't been able to regularly hear for so long.

"Thank you for that. I would rather my son not have the same interest in words as Emmett." I softly giggled. "But- what was it that you wanted to talk to me about again? Involving Evan?"

"Oh. Just something that happened today." Was all he said.

Within the time span of three seconds, Edward's face morphed from carefree to frigid and stiff.

"Okay. Well, go ahead." I encouraged sweetly. He was silent for a few more seconds and that's when I spoke again. "Edward?"

Edward looked slightly to his left, fixing his gaze to the pond with the koi fish. Why was he so nervous? I had never remembered him to be this timid, especially when around me. I cautiously extended two fingers to gently lay on his arm.

"I just don't know what to say, Bella." He told me in a far off voice. "I'm… afraid."

"Afraid of what?" The thought of Edward being offended in fear of something was enough to make my heart start to beat at a much higher rate. For him to be scared, there had to be something terrible going on. Had more vampires returned with the Cullen's to Forks? Did one of them smell Evan…? "Edward, please, please, _please_ tell me what is going on. At first I felt at ease, but seeing as it involves my son, I am freaking out over here, please, I won't be mad or upset just tell me what the problem is so that I can fix it."

"That's the thing, which is my point exactly. There is _nothing_ wrong with the situation. In fact, I find it a good thing, such a good thing that I am worried… that if I tell you and this goes downhill, I will never be able to bring it back up."

I could feel my face contort into the same confused and rigid shape as his. "_Please_." I begged in a hushed voice, "Please, Edward, I've got to know…"

So fast that I couldn't fully register what happened, Edward's hands were on both sides of my face and his heavenly aroma was wafting dangerously close to my senses. He took his thumb and slid it slowly down my cheek and back up once more. Twice, three times again before he clenched his eyes together. I could hear his breaths increase in density, yet turn more shallow by the second. I know this man, and I know that for him to have this much anxiety, something must be intolerable.

"Bella" He breathes, and put on a smile that was almost wrong. It didn't belong on his face, not this smile. This smile was full of hurt. "You've got to know that whatever agony I have previously cost you, I wish I could take it all back. Take every ounce of pain away that you have ever suffered, but… I can't do that. I can only apologize, and repetitively tell you how sorry I am."

"Edward-" I tried to protest, but I was cut off by his index finger pressing lightly into my lips. He shouldn't feel guilty over what happened in the past.

"No, listen, please. Just for once, let me have my well deserved guilt." It stung when he put it like that. He deserved no pain. He then continued "I know that I have caused many sleepless nights full of tears and many days full of regret, but I can promise you that I won't leave you again. I can stand by your side, I can be there for you, just as I want to. I just need a _chance_ to show you that I am right for you. A fighting opportunity to prove to you that you always were, still are, and forever will be the most important thing in my existence. Whether I see you once a month, twice a week, each day or every single second of my eternity, I want you in my life, Bella. I need you with me. I know this is a lot to take in right now, and I know that we have only been reacquainted for near a week, but I needed to let you know that my feelings are here and they are true. If there is only one more thing that you will allow me to say to you, it is that I love you. I always have and never stopped, nor will I ever cease. _You are the reason that I am here_."

I could feel my hands start to shake and tremble along with my arms and legs. My lips were slightly parted and the air was shakily entering its way into my lungs, getting stuck on its way there. How was I supposed to breathe after hearing that? How could I make out any words to say, or form any actions to pursue. My body involuntarily did that it was made to do lately, and that was let a single tear fall from my left eye. This tear was followed by several more and eventually a sob.

Edward removed his hands from my moistened cheeks and placed them on my thighs. The crying persisted and we both sat there, almost silently. I was looking down at my feet, yet out of the corner of my eye I could see his figure. He was sitting as still as a statue, secretly hovering over me as if I couldn't see what he was doing. His face would occasionally inch towards me, then he would grimace and reluctantly pull back. I didn't understand his tactics, his strategy at comforting someone. Edward would gracefully watch over you, silently, always keeping at least one hand on you. No words would escape his lips, but it was always as if he had just told you exactly what you wanted to hear, exactly what you _needed_ to hear.

I ignored the lump in my throat, and still looking down to the damn ground beneath me, I whispered "You can't keep doing this, Edward."

"What, love?" He breathed.

Love. Me, his love. "You can't keep messing with my emotions every time you get a rush. Each time you feel regret for what you are, you can't push me away. When you feel like you need someone in your life, you can't just accept me then, yet turn your back on me the second that you fear for my life, Edward."

"That isn't going to happen again." He tried to get it.

I put my finger to his mouth, as he did to me. "Shh. Listen." I wiped a new coming tear that was resting precariously on my cheek. "I am the same me I was before. I have the same brown eyes, the same heart that beats. My skin is still flexible, and blood still runs through my veins. If I'm cut, I bleed. If I fall, I break. The only difference now is that my heart is a little tougher than before. My baby boy has taken over my heart, but my body is still the same as it was… I'm fragile, Edward. You can't protect me from everything. Every now and then, I will fall and hurt myself. You simply can't blame yourself for things that are bound to happen to a human. I am human and I'm breakable. That's the whole reason you left me before. It was because you thought that you were endangering me, but don't you see? I'm a _human_, I face danger ever day. I'm still the same clumsy me that will trip and hurt herself. While I am in this form of myself, you can't keep me hidden from danger…"

"Sweetheart, there is no danger. Do you see these arms?" He held his arms wide and I nodded, still leaking tears. "This is where you are safe. When you are here, nothing can get to you, nothing." He repeated.

I bit my lip and my chest rose and fell with another sob. "Do you see those legs?" I pointed to him. "They walked away from me."

The tears fell and Edward lifted a single finger to my face to wipe them away. "No. They made a mistake." He whispered.

"Well I can't make another mistake, Edward." I cried to him. I then pointed to my chest. "This heart can't take another break. It's been broken, and a little boy bandaged me up. I can't let this heart be broken again while he is with me, never would I let him see me like that."

"Bella, Evan is very mature for his age… he can see that you are sad. That you are missing something. He's missing something too… a father."

My head started to spin internally and the dizziness was closer than before. "Edward, don't bring him into this. His father is gone, you know that." I hissed. How dare he mention that.

He moved closer to me and grabbed my hand, intertwining our fingers. It felt awkward, but so right. "Don't you think he deserves someone to take that role? To be there for him? To comfort him when he is afraid? Every child deserves a father."

"You think I don't want that for him? I want Evan to have the best, and to experience everything that life has to offer him. I want him to smile at the memories of his childhood, Edward. But forcing some random man on him just for myself fulfillment is _selfish_, and I will never be that kind of mother. I may not be some thirty year old expert who knows just how to calm him down when he is mad, or how to make him eat his vegetables, but I know when my son is ready for something, and until he can clearly tell me 'Mommy, I need a Daddy' and tell me who he would like that to be, then _forget it_, because nobody gets me, unless they take my son… unless my son takes them. He is my world, and number one." I spat at him.

"So you're saying that is Evan accepted me, then maybe things could work between us…" He led off.

I shook my head. "It would make things a lot smoother, but I doubt that will happen. Although he loves to make friends, he doesn't just let anyone into his life. He needs time to develop a relationship with someone, why? Why does it even matter?" I questioned, feeling agitated. Why would he have to bring Evan into this?

Edward took a slow, deep breath. "This is what I needed to talk to you about in the first place."

I was confused. What is he talking about. I simply nodded in a way to show him to go on.

"Today, while coloring and eating a snack, Evan drew a picture of… people." He said peculiarly.

I shook my head. "Evan loves to draw, there is nothing out of the ordinary there."

"Yes, but look." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wide, folded sheet of paper with colored marking on the outside. He began to open the folded mystery, and once it was flat with wrinkled indentations, he laid in into my lap. "Do you recognize these people?"

Yes, of course I did. There was me, holding Evan's little hand. His stands of hair made me smile, and his brown eyes excited me. A girl with black hair appeared to be Alice. The eyes were a perfect golden, and her height gave her away. Lastly, my eyes skimmed over a figure with untamed hair, golden eyes and a smile on his face. Edward.

"It's us. And Alice… and you." I told him, breathing in slowly. "Why is this so abnormal to you?"

"While he was coloring, he told me about how each detail fit together to make each person. His Mommy had brown hair and brown eyes, and she was next to him, just how he liked it. His Aunt Alice was short, had difficult black hair and he enjoyed the challenge."

I cut him off. "Aunt Alice?" He nodded. "That isn't a big deal, it's quite favorable, actually. He feels comfortable with your family, which is a good thing. Usually it takes him a while to warm up to new people."

Edward had on a slight smile that I don't think I was supposed to see. "Great, I'm glad you think that way, but this is actually why I needed to speak with you." He motioned to his figure on the piece of paper. "This is me… He said it was his Dad. He called me his father, Bella."

"Wh- what?" I shrieked. "What in the hell have you been telling him?"

"Nothing, honestly. He came up with it all on his own, I had nothing to do with it. Please don't be angry with either of us. He had a smile on when he said it, and-"

I cut him short again. "My son called you his Daddy, and you think its all fine and dandy? Edward, you aren't his Dad... I'm sorry, I wish he had a biological man in his life like you, honestly, I do, but I can't have that type of responsibility put on you. When we go back inside, we will have to explain to Evan that you are just his friend."

"No." He said in a tone so low it was hard for me to hear. "Please, no."

"What?" I asked gently.

"Bella, listen. This is what I want. I want to be that role in his life, I want to be the one to go to his sporting events, and I want to be the one to scare away his monsters at night. I could pack him his favorite lunches and tell him stories that he would enjoy. We could play with action figures, I could read to him, anything that his little heart desires. But please, let me be in his life. We don't have to… be together, not now at least, but please, don't take that boy away. He… he needs us. And this family needs him."

I have never heard Edward be so passionate about something, including trying to win me back. There was a new found sincerity in his voice that I had never heard before. It rung loud and clear, and struck me in a place where not many people can get to.

The tears were back. "Edward, don't you even…" I lead off.

"I won't." He promised.

"I mean it, please…" I wiped away a drop of moisture.

Edward shifted closer to me. "I will never hurt your son, I can solemnly swear this to you. You both, I will take care of you both."

His hands were resting gently on my waist, and it all came into view then. What I had subconsciously wanted was coming into play, miraculously. My little boy would have someone there for him. Edward.. Edward was here. He wasn't leaving, I won't let him. Evan could possibly grow up with the man that made me whole.

"Edward, this doesn't mean I'm saying yes to you…" I lead off and felt him tense underneath me. "But it doesn't mean I am saying no, either. You can be there for my son, you can kiss away his booboo when I'm not there. You can teach him things I can't, and you can keep him safe. The both of us can be safe with you." I sniffled.

He wrapped his arms around me, and for the first time in a long time, I laid my head on his chest and just lout the tears fall. I let the anger I felt roll out, it want needed anymore. His jacket was getting covered with salty tears, but at that moment, I knew. I knew things would get better. I didn't know how, and I didn't know which way but I knew.

"You will always be safe, right here." He whispered and tightened his grasp on me. I felt him kiss the top of my head and I gently closed my eyes. This is where I needed to be. This is where my family would start.

**Yes, yes, yes, bad chapter, short chapter, I know. But my school just recently started, and I haven't had that much extra time to write, but when I do, I always try to get a chapter up. Sorry there was no preview for this, I know I promised, but I pinky swear I will make it up to you guys. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ABUNDANCE OF REVIEWS! I was so happy! **

**PLEASE REVIEW, and instead of a preview sent to you on here or on email, because it is so difficult to get the format to work, I will not be posting previews on my blog, the link will be on my profile. Thank you so much, and PLEASE REVIEW(: I love you guys, Kywardbbyx21**


	7. Afletes

**I didn't take **_**too**_** long to reply. Sorry, school is a little crazy. This chapter is a little bit of fluff, but I swear to you, next chapter will have some crazy drama. I DID post the preview for this on my blog. In case you forgot, the link is on my profile, and I will also post the link for it at the end of this chapter. Please REVIEW, I will review back, and I think that's all. Haha, enjoy(:**

**-Kywardbbyx21**

"There you go! Good job!" Esme cheered Evan on as he threw the ball to Edward.

Evan's face lit up at the praise he received. He looked over to where we were sitting and held up his little thumb with a genuine smile. His legs crouched down and he held his mitt to the grass beneath him.

"Ready?" Edward asked. My son nodded and then Edward gently tossed the ball to him, releasing it in the right way so that the baseball was rolling on the ground by the time it reached Evan.

He waddled to the ball and scooped it up in his glove. Then, he took his right hand and threw the ball back to Edward once more. Unlike the other times he did this, the ball reached Edward's feet. Evan had finally gotten the ball to go directly where he wanted it.

"Good throw Turtle!" I clapped. "See? You're almost ready for the professional league!"

He giggled. "No, Mommy. I need practice." He turned his attention back to Edward and got into his 'ready position'.

Instead, Emmett snatched the ball from Edward and began throwing it extremely hard to Jasper. The ball was hurdling in the air so fast, that when it slid into Jasper's glove, it sounded as if two rocks were being thrust together. My eyes widened when Jasper looked angrily into his hand, smirked and returned the ball to Emmett, only to hit him in the thigh. Of course, Emmett being… Emmett had to get revenge.

"Oh you think that's funny Jazz? Huh, you think it's cool just to hit people in the leg with baseballs?" He rhetorically asked.

"Actually I do, dear brother of mine." He laughed.

"Well then asshole; tell me how _hilarious_ you think this is."

Emmett clenched his fists and picked the ball off of the grass, grasping the puny thing only using two fingers. He wound his arm back and launched it into the woods, smiling at his distance.

Evan's mouth dropped and I wondered if he had noticed how much farther the ball went that it should have. Please tell me he missed that.

"How… did… you… do that?" He gasped. Oh no, please no. "THAT WAS SO AWSOME! Can you teach me how to do that?"

I breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that he was still oblivious to the big picture. Of course I knew that he would never guess what the Cullen's really were, but he could always notice the difference.

Edward answered for him. "Sure Ev, we can teach you everything you need to know." He smiled and Evan mirrored him.

"Thanks." Evan told him. "Can you show me how to hit the ball so that it goes up in the air?"

"Of course." Edward grinned and went off to get the child's bat that Alice had purchased for Evan.

Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, Evan and Edward were all playing baseball in the backyard while Esme, Alice, Rosalie and I were sitting on the back porch watching them. It had been like this the past week and a half, and I had to admit that I was really enjoying it. Spending time with the Cullen's was just what I needed, and it seemed as if Evan was also loving his new life. Each day that I had work, he would come here and Edward or someone else in the family would look after him, and once work was over, I would drive back to pick him up and we both would have dinner with the Cullen's. Although they didn't eat, they always put some sort of food in front of them for the illusion of normalcy. Evan thought they were regular people, and he knew regular people would have to eat at some point.

It amazed me how smoothly things were going, considering the past. Evan was bonding with everyone in the family exceptionally well, and it was obvious that he had a special spot for Edward and Alice. When I was around them all, Evan hardly ever left Edward's side and for some reason, I absolutely adored that. Not that I was planning some sort of future with the Cullen's, but it made everything so much easier that he trusted them.

Another thing that made all of these things come together _that_ much easier was that my friendship with Alice was more than rekindled. It was as if she had never left, and in fact it was like that with every member of the Cullen family. Except Edward. Maybe things were a bit rocky between us because before they left, I was so much closer to him than anyone else in his family. Or it could possibly be that… maybe, my feelings never left, just transformed. Transformed into something that had to temporarily be pushed to the back of my mind so that my son could be in the forefront of every thought my brain processed.

Those thoughts about Edward were still in the back of my mind, but when I was alone and thinking, or around him those little bubbles of memory had their way of making themselves present, no matter how badly I wanted them to stay dormant.

A little hand on my arm brought me out of my thoughts.

"Mommy, can I have some juice?" Evan tapped my skin. "Afletes need that."

I giggled at his pronunciation. "Athletes?"

"Yes." He nodded. "Emmett said that we were afletes."

"Oh did he now?" I smiled. Emmett raised his thumb to me. "Well, of course Mommy's little baseball star needs his hydration. What kind of juice would you like, Turtle?"

"Apple!"

"Okay, I'll be right back with that. Why don't you take a little break? You seem tired, baby." I kissed his head. He nodded and took a seat on the bench near Alice.

I stood up from the chair I was sitting in, and pushed it back under the patio table. I patted Evan's shoulder, and turned to go towards the house when Esme addressed me.

"Bella, would you mind if I came in with you? I… need a drink as well." She kindly smiled.

"Sure, of course not." I told her.

She too stood up, yet she did it with such poise and gracefulness that it made me look like an elephant compared to a bird. Once she was beside me, we walked silently into the house and made our way into the kitchen.

Easily remembering where everything was, I reached into the farthest left cabinet and pulled out a glass. After setting it on the table, Esme put her hand on my shoulder.

"We have special cups for Evan, dear." She went to the one of the cabinets on the opposite side of the room and pulled out an orange sippy cup. "We thought that he would like these better than the boring 'adult' glasses we have.

I nodded. They were so thoughtful of him. "Thank you Esme, for everything. Looking after him when I go to work, being so kind and opening your home to him, and simply just accepting what happened in your family's absence. It really means the world to me."

"Sweetheart, don't thank me. These are things that we _want_ to do. You were always a part of our family and always will be. Evan is part of you, and so he will be a part of us as long as he is content with the idea."

I grabbed the apple juice from the fridge and started to pour some into the fluorescent child's cup. "Trust me, when we go home, you guys are all he talks about. How Alice helps him match colors when he paints, and how Emmett always makes him laugh. He talks very highly of how you let him assist you when you bake treats for him." I laughed. "He really loves you guys."

Esme looked thrilled. "Really? Oh that's just wonderful, it's almost as if… never mind." He face fell a little.

"Almost as if what?" I asked, screwing on the lid to the cup.

"Well, dear, it's just… just that having Evan here every day is almost like… having a grandchild running around. I know that he is not my grandchild, and I have no relation to the little boy, but he is just so sweet and accepting of us, that is makes me wish that… he was my grandchild. Do you understand? I know this probably makes no sense to you, and I'm truly sorry if you think I am asserting myself too much into his life, but-"

I cut her short. "Esme. Esme, Esme, Esme. Please, don't ever apologize for feeling a certain way when it comes to Evan. Usually he takes a while to adjust to people, but for some reason he took right to your family, and I actually love that. No matter what sort of past we all have, I want Evan to have people in his life that will care for him in addition to Charlie and I. The way Evan speaks of you almost makes me think that your feelings are mutual. He speaks very highly of you, Esme." I walked slowly towards her and gave her a hug.

"Bella that is just, that is just absolutely wonderful. Really it is." She gushed. "He is so adorable."

"Yeah, he is my whole world." I agreed softly. "Looking back, I really wasn't sure how to… how to be a mother, but it just feels like everything has fallen into place, you know? Like this was what I was put on this Earth to do. Maybe it happened in an unconventional way, but since when has my life been normal? Getting… pregnant young, having a baby and trying to be on my own with a baby at my age was hard, truly it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, but to me, it is all a part of what was supposed to happen. Evan is here, and he is here for a reason."

Esme ran her fingers through my hair and gave me a look that a mother gives her child, I knew that look. At some point, I have given Evan that look… when I was proud of him.

"My daughter… a mother." She shook her head, but I liked the way she called me her 'daughter', I missed that. "Such a great mother to Evan. I see the way you look at him, Bella. I see the way your eyes light up when you walk into the same area as him. It's the look a mother gives her baby; I've felt that look at one point."

My heart sank, remembering what Esme had endured in her human life: The loss of her only biological baby boy. "Esme… I'm sorry. Really, I am. I can't even imagine…"

She ruefully put a small smile on. "Don't apologize dear. Everything is okay." She nodded.

I wish I could have the inner strength that this woman possessed. She had undergone one of the most traumatic things a mother could possibly go through.

She quietly said "Shall we go back outside? I'm sure Evan needs his juice for 'afletes'" She repeated him.

I laughed, "Of course. That boy… he's something else." I laughed again.

We walked side by side out to the back yard, carrying Evan's drink along.

Evan saw us coming and ran up to hug my leg. "Mommy! When you were in the house, I hit the ball! And it went up!"

I reached down to hand him his drink, and give him a hug. "That's great, Turtle! I'm so proud of you."

As I straightened myself up, Esme whispered in my ear "And I am proud of you, Bella. We all are."

* * *

"Oh come on Bella, let the kid live a little. It's just one scary movie, and it's not even that bad, I've seen it like, twenty times." Emmett protested against my will.

"It's just one scary movie" I mocked. "Right Emmett, like I am going to let my son watch a movie called 'Death's Calling: A knife in the hand'. Sure, let me just get _right_ on that!" I scoffed sarcastically.

"It got great ratings!" He argued.

My eyes widened. "It got a ten out of ten on the horror scale, and you honestly expect me to allow Evan to watch it! At Night! Did your mentality level shrink in the past two years? You are unbelievable!"

"See? If you keep restricting him to do the things he wants, he is just going to rebel when he gets older, who knows what the poor, innocent little guy will get into. How does that make you feel, Bella, huh? Do you feel confident about being a prude?" Emmett immaturely stated. "Wow, way to go party pooper."

"It makes me feel like a defensive mother who wants to slap a certain man with curly dark hair, know the feeling?" He narrowed his eyes at me. "Emmett, I am not trying to be the one who ruins all the fun, honestly I'm not, but there is no possible way I am going to let Evan watch this. You guys can certainly watch it, but if so I think Evan and I will go upstairs or head home or something, that way he is entertained too. He is simply too young and too innocent to see everyone in the whole film dying due to them getting hacked up by a chainsaw or stabbed in the face."

"It's not that bad! Not everyone even dies!" He tried to tell me, but I glared at him, knowing he was lying. "Okay fine. Everyone does die, _but_ you don't see the blond girl die, it is only _inferred_. See? The kid will be fine. As long as you have a blond, everything is perfectly fine." He smirked and Rosalie scoffed at him.

"Emmett, I am going to put this as nicely as possible, and in a way that even you will be able to understand. No. No. No, hell no, No, and oh yeah, _NO_."

"Okay seriously, you used to be pretty cool, and rather lenient. Now you're all protective and I hate to say it, but you blow balls Bella. Like, majorly nasty balls. With a ball fro. A red, firecrotch one. Like Edward. Yeah, you blow firecrotch bush balls." Emmett really was not helping his case, _at all_. "Please just let the kid watch the damn movie."

I growled and looked to Esme for some reassurance. Surely she could see where I was coming from. "Can someone please help me here, this is a lost cause. Obviously I can't get through to him how _idiotic_ his pleas are."

I should have known what was going to happen next.

"I agree with Bella." Edward stood from his seat. "Why don't you all watch the film, and we can go on a walk? The moon is out tonight so there is plenty of light to see."

We? Who did he mean by 'we'? I swallowed hard. "Edward, uhm, I can't leave Evan here."

"Well of course not, I meant that he would come on the walk with us. I think he would enjoy seeing the environment after the sun has set."

I nodded. "Turtle, do you want to go on a walk? Edward said he would come along too."

Evan looked at Edward and his eyes lit up. I smiled. "Yes!"

"Yeah, yeah, blah blah blah. Walks, ooh how wonderful. Make sure you stop to sniff the flowers." Emmett sighed. "Pussybear." He whispered to Edward.

We ignored him and left out the back door that led to the surrounding abundance of trees. Instinctively I reached my hand down to cradle Evan's small fingers. Little did I know that his other hand was already being occupied by Edward's grasp. I looked down at him, and felt an awkward sensation of happiness. Edward was happy that he had us in his reach, Evan was thrilled at his new life, and even I was uplifted by the new changes. I gave Evan's hand a gentle squeeze just to show him that I was there for him. Surprisingly he squeezed back.

After walking silently for a few minutes we came to the edge of the forest where everything started to become more crowded. There was tree after tree and plant after plant. Even with the moon shining brightly, it was getting slightly harder to differentiate the faint paths that the Cullen's had made.

"Edward, which way do we go?" I asked, stopping in my tracks.

He looked down each path quickly then spoke. "I think for this walk, the path that leads east is the best path. It has the least amount of things that either of you could accidently trip over, and it also leads to the small waterway which is extremely beautiful this time of the evening."

"Okay, thank you." I nodded.

"Of course." He said.

We started to walk again, but after the second step, Evan started to whine.

"Mommy, my feets are tired. They don't want to keep walking."

"But don't you want to see the pretty pond that Edward was talking about? It's very nice, Turtle, something that you wouldn't want to miss." I encouraged. "It's not that far."

He frowned. "I don't want to miss it, but my feets are sad. They want to stop."

"Do you want me to carry you?" I asked, feeling stupid because I already l knew the answer.

Evan nodded and smiled sweetly to me. Right as I was bending down to pick him up in my arms, Edward beat me to it, and within a second, Evan was on his back with Edward giving him a piggy back ride, which coincidently was his favorite way of being carried.

"Edward, it's okay, I can carry him." I tried to convince him.

"No, Bella. I got him, it's perfectly fine. In fact, I want to carry him." He grinned.

And so the push over begins.

I sighed. "Sure. Fine." I hated it when people tried to do everything for me. I was perfectly capable of carrying my own son. Although, it wasn't too bad that Edward was trying to be nice…

I took the first step and Edward followed behind me. I was slightly in front of him, only about two or three footsteps. We trudged through the trees and I began listening to what the boys were talking about.

"Who is your favoritest?"

"I love both of my brother's equally, but I think I am closer to Jasper."

"Why?" Evan pressed.

"Well, because Jasper is closer to my maturity level for one thing."

"What?"

Edward laughed. "Jasper is closer to being a grown up than Emmett is. It's easier to get along with him. I can actually hold a conversation with him that doesn't just involve sports or video games."

Evan giggled. "I like those things."

"I can tell. I think that you and Emmett will get along very well. It seems like you both enjoy having fun."

For once in my life, I didn't feel the need to put in my opinion or even a single word. Although I loved talking about silly random things with Evan, my true instinct was telling me to just keep quiet and let him and Edward bond.

We continued to walk and I tried to stay a couple paces ahead so that they could have their space, yet still be close enough so that I could clearly hear what was being talked about. I liked knowing how strong their bond was and how it grew. The water couldn't be too far away from what I remembered, maybe another minute or two at most.

"So what do you want to be when you grow up, Evan?" Edward quizzed.

Oh, I knew this one. He wanted to be an athlete, a super hero or a man that builds houses.

"A baseball man. Or a super guy. Or a Dad."

A father? That is new…

"You have a talent for baseball, Evan. I think you could do very well professionally. As for being a super hero, that would be very rewarding. A Dad? That sounds very nice." Leave it to Edward to sound intelligent at talking to a child about their future. I lightly chuckled at his thoroughness.

"Yepp." Evan said. "I wanna be a good Dad like you. Cause you're the bestest Daddy I have."

My feet stopped moving and my breath hitched in my throat. I had heard Evan call Edward 'Dad' before, and I was starting to get used to it, but this was a precedent. Since when did he see him as 'The best Dad he had ever had'? He had only started calling him Dad about a week ago.

"That is very kind of you to say, thank you, Evan." He responded.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and I whipped my head around, my eyes still open more than necessary.

"Love, you stopped…" Edward said. "The pond is quite close, do you wish to continue?"

"Y-yes." At once, I turned myself forward and began to move my feet again.

Both Evan and Edward were completely silent until we reached our destination. Once we were there, I sat myself down by the water's edge and took my shoes off, gently dipping my toes into the crisp, cold water. I gasped and then lowered my foot in a little deeper. Edward set Evan on the ground and they both took a seat near me, one on each side.

"Turtle, you've got to put your feet in." I encouraged him.

"Is it chilly?" He said as he began to pull his little shoes off.

I scrunched my face up. "A little bit, but it feels nice, I promise."

He looked hesitant. I knew what would help him.

"Edward, you should dip your feet in too, it's very refreshing." I told him, and looked up to him. His beautiful eyes were shining brightly, illuminated from the moonlight. One look was all it took to be dazzled just as I used to be. Those golden orbs could change my whole outlook on life.

He touched my cheek lightly and my eyes fluttered a little bit. "You look refreshed. You look happy, Bella."

I looked down at the water, avoiding his statement. Just as I had suspected, as soon as Edward put his toes in the pond, Evan did the same. I chuckled and ran my hands through his brown hair.

We sat at the water's edge for a little while; I'm not exactly sure just how long that was. A few minutes, half an hour, an hour or two? It was easy to forget everything when we were just taking in the beauty of the scene displayed at our fingertips. The way the moon shined across the surface of the water created a glow that made everything surrounding it a light blue color. It was very calming, almost too calming.

The owls hooting, the air slightly moving, the crickets chirping in the background, everything played together in a way that made things seem perfect for once. Edward was by my side, I would know that feeling from anywhere. His body was hovering over mind, but not in a sadistic way, more like an 'I'm here' way. I could hear the short, shallow breaths coming from my son. His head was lying peacefully on my thigh, using it as a pillow. A few minutes ago his eyes started to droop, maybe by now he had fallen asleep.

I placed my hand on his little head and started to gently run my fingers through his hair. It's funny how the smallest things he does can make me feel amazing. Just knowing that I created the little boy that was tranquilly sleeping on me made me want to smile.

I sighed and quietly whispered "Goodnight, Turtle, I love you" just in case he had already fallen asleep, or was in the process of it.

"He's asleep, Bella" Edward answered me, understanding my last statement.

"I feel bad, I hate for him go to sleep anywhere that is not his bed." I said guiltily. I know it wasn't that big of a deal, but it made me feel like a bad mother. "Of course, he has no problem falling asleep anywhere, the little guy loves sleeping."

Edward chuckled. "I noticed that. He dreams about you, you know."

"What?" I asked. "How could you know that? I didn't think you could… read him."

"I can't." He shook his head. "But just like his mother, he talks in his sleep. I've caught him saying 'Mommy' or 'Momma' quite a few times during his naps."

Of course I knew Evan talked in his sleep, but usually the only things he talked of were normal little boy things. Dirt, sports, and cartoon characters. I couldn't help but feel pride when Edward told me this.

"Also, I've noticed that you two have many of the same mannerisms. You both bite your lips and blush often. Have you ever noticed that you both have the same emotional face structure? You two make the same faces when you are upset, angry, happy, anything really. It's quite amazing to study genetics. In fact, after witnessing everything between Evan and yourself, I've decided to go further into the genetics/hereditary department."

"That's… nice, Edward." I nodded.

"Have you… ever thought about going to college?" He asked, avoiding my eyes. "Maybe some time when Evan gets a little older?"

"Of course I have thought about it, but right now I need to focus on providing a good life for my son, and if I were in college, I would certainly be unable to do that. I don't want to miss anything; do you know what I mean? I was there for his first breath, his first doctor's appointment, his first word, the first time he rolled over onto his belly, the first time he crawled, his very first steps, his first sentence, his first everything. I wouldn't want that any other way." It was the truth; school is still in my plans for the future, just not the near future.

"I understand completely, really I do." He sympathized. "What field would you want to go into?"

I answered without thinking. "Child Psychology, or Counseling, definitely."

He looked towards the water and shook his head. "I don't see it…"

"Don't see what?" I looked towards the direction his eyes were pointed, and I saw nothing.

"I don't understand how you could have changed _so_ much in the time that I was… away." His finger found my cheek, and although I wanted to pull back from his hand, my body didn't listen. I leaned my face into his touch. "When I… left, the girl that was Bella was beautiful, so beautiful, and rather insecure. So insecure for no reason at all. She knew what she wanted in life, and was sure of it. The Bella that was here before was self conscious, quiet, and stubborn. Now I look at you, and I still _see _Bella. But now, I _feel_ Bella, the Bella that I always knew you were. The one who would stand up for anything she believed in, such as her son. The one that would do anything to protect her loved ones, and the one that has matured so significantly. She is strong, and she is so wise. I can see it in your eyes, love. You have so many burdens on your back, let me carry them. Let me help you."

Why must every time that we are somewhat alone, he try to seduce me. Why must every time that we have a spare moment, he play the overly sweet card, and make me want to give in to his every suggestion. Why must he make me fall so much more in love with him, yet I have to hide it?

"Edward, my burdens are my own, they are my responsibility." I whispered. "You don't always have to help me, you know? I feel like I'm just… a bum around you. You and your family are so perfect, even Evan is magnificent, and then there is me. The weak girl."

Edward put his finger under my chin and lifted it so that my eyes were staring directly into his.

"Isabella Marie Swan. Look at yourself. Look at your child. Don't you _ever_ say you are weak, do you hear me? You possess strength that I will never even begin to comprehend."

He lowered his lips to my face and let out a slow breath. The feeling of his hot air on my skin was enough to make me want to jump from my seat and tackle him. Just when I thought I was going to have to pull back, he placed a soft kiss on my nose, then my right cheek, followed by my left cheek, and lastly my forehead. My lips were the only thing on my face that was untouched by his sweet kiss.

For once, I didn't mind. I didn't think of how I _shouldn't_ enjoy it. I didn't think of how it was _wrong_ of me to like it. The only thing I focused on was how much I absolutely adored that feeling. Maybe it was actually a _good_ thing, and maybe, just maybe it should happen more often.

**Yes, I know, this chapter is full of fluff, but it's a little bit of a filler. Next chapter will have drama in it, I promise. In fact, the next chapter will probably be the most suspenseful one so far. Like I said, I DID put the preview up for this chapter, if you would like to keep an eye out for the next preview, the link is on my profile, and I will also put the link on here. As always, PLEASE REVIEW, I always review back, and you guys have no idea how much your opinion means to me. **

**Thank you for your time, please REVIEW.**

**Love, Kywardbbyx21**

**_Link to my blog:_ www(dot)kywardbbyx21ff(dot)tumblr(dot)com **


	8. Attack on the heart

**I'm soooooo sorry about my lack of updating! I don't really have an excuse, other than school and I had a long period of writer's block, which adds to part of the reason why this chapter is a little on the sucky side. Also, my computer crashed when i had half of the chapter already typed, and to be honest, i was too pissed to even start over again at the moment. haha. Either way, I would GREATLY appreciate it if you would read and REVIEW. I return all reviews, keep that in mind(: Please stay with me for this story, I promise I will update soon, no more waiting forever like with this chapter, I promise.**

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**-Kywardbbyx21(:**

"I love it!" Evan proclaimed. "Thanks Uncle Em."

Emmett had gotten Evan a black and white baseball glove that had his name engraved in the stitches, along where your wrist is. I couldn't help but grin at seeing Evan unwrap it. His eyes lit up and his smile was larger than I would have imagined it could be.

"No problem, kiddo. We gonna use it once you're done opening gifts?" Emmett asked, smirking. "I'm pretty sure you may be able to kick my… grass… with that mitt."

Emmett had tried to clean up his language, and for that I was thankful, though I don't know how long it will last.

Turtle dove into the pile of gifts again, for the fifty-sixth time, and stopped at a large box that was wrapped in green striped paper. It was obviously too big for him to lift, so he looked up to me and smiled.

"Mommy, can you hand me that?"

Right as I was about to reach down, Edward already had the box sitting on the table in front of my son, waiting for him to rip the paper to shreds and reveal what was underneath.

"Thanks" Evan and I said in unison, to Edward. He looked to me with a genuine grin and tipped his head slightly and sweetly. The butterflies in my stomach had returned, whether I wanted them to or not.

Turtle tore at the paper until it was all lying on the ground at his feet, and gasped. "We can go camping now! It comes with sleeping things too!"

The gift was a family sized tent, large enough to be a small apartment, it appeared. It had three different layers that acted as temperature preservers. Keeping heat in, cold out, and pretty much everything in between. It was a state of the art piece of equipment, and it was just the thing that Evan loved. I think it made him feel more like Edward, Jasper or Emmett when he received gifts that were a little beyond his age level… Like he was 'one of the guys' or something. Just as I said, it is never anything 'normal' with the Cullen's.

"Maybe you and your mother could come camping next weekend, Evan. We were planning on taking the both of you with us, it will be very fun." Carlisle interjected. I loved that he thought of us as his family. It made me think that this whole thing may actually turn out positive for once. "We can make smores and go on hikes."

I internally groaned while he nodded excitedly and told Carlisle thank you for the gift. Hiking. Wonderful. Well, looks like I can prepare for a few bruises and tons of bug bites. Sometimes I wonder if having a daughter would be different, and then I realize that no matter what gender my child takes on, it will still be more coordinated than me.

His little hands found their way to his pile of gifts again, and he was off on a mission.

Evan's birthday party was going exceptionally well so far. We were all gathered in the Cullen's backyard, and when I say everyone, really, I mean _everyone_. Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and of course Edward, along with Seth, Embry, Quil, Leah, Brady, Collin, Jared, Kim, Rachel, Sam, Emily, and their two year old daughter, Kavery were all huddled around my son, watching him on his special day. Obviously Charlie was here, and even some of my friends from school came, Mike, Angela and Ben being the three. It seemed like the people that mattered were all here, right? No, not right. Although it hurt, I got over the fact that Evan's biological father couldn't be here to celebrate the third year of our son's life. He wasn't there for the sonogram appointments, his birth, any of his other birthdays, or any holidays, and I knew that there was no possible way for him to be here. He died, and for that I am more than thankful. My baby boy deserved to have happy memories that he will eventually look back upon, but I wish he had a proper father to be in them. One that didn't do such horrible things. One that would have been there the second he took his first breath… but he doesn't. I feel like part of that is my fault, even if I know it isn't. I guess it is just a 'motherly feeling'… one that I have been having for the past three years. One that I push to the side, and put on a smile anyway for.

Jake. Jacob was another person that I wish was here. A person I know that _should _be here. Unfortunately, things were still the same with him. I haven't heard a single word from him, and the pack claims they haven't seen him, but I know they are lying for him, that's what friends do. Their connection with him is deeper than the one they have with me, and I understand and respect that. Even still, they all pushed aside the differences they have with the Cullen's and came to the party for Evan, so why couldn't Jacob? Leah Clearwater of all people showed up! She _despise_s the Cullen family, but she loves my son enough to temporarily forget about all the problems they have had in the past. Keeping this in mind, why couldn't Jacob? If not for me, for Evan. He promised my son that he would always be there for him… way to break a promise.

He was not only surrounded by family and friends that cared for him, but tons and tons of sports themed decorations. The tablecloths, the napkins, the forks and spoons, the balloons, even the moon bounces were all done in a sports theme. Every direction that you turned your head to would be filled with baseballs, soccer cleats, football helmets or hockey sticks. There was also a huge banner that hung on the south side of the house. It was navy blue, and had the words 'Happy Birthday Ev' written in white paint, and the most beautiful handwriting I have ever seen. It was Edward's script; there was no doubt about it. The most magnificent part about the banner was the massive size. It had to be at least seven feet tall and thirty feet wide. How in the world did they….? Never mind. Damn, vampires and their miraculous ability to perfect everything.

Although it was extravagant for a three year old, I honestly expected all of it. Alice _was_ the one who planned it after all, and anybody who even remotely knows her, knows that she does everything to the highest of her satisfaction level. She goes above and beyond with every task she takes on, and to be honest, I admire her for it. The party was a perfect example of the way her mind sees objectives… overachieve, and don't think twice about what you have to do in order to succeed.

Yes, I do realize that the theme revolved partly around baseball, but never in my wildest dream did I expect there to be an authentic baseball diamond wedged in between the trees, just beyond the edges of the party. The bases were a beautiful, almost glowing white color that matched the foul lines that laced the field. Tan, dusty sand was spread in the right areas, and the grass seemed to scream "come play with me, catch a pop fly out here, come on, you know you want to." I looked over to it and rolled my eyes while smiling. All of this for a three year old? It was obvious that he was loved. Very, very, very loved.

"Mommy! Mom! _Mommmmmmmy_!" Evan's whines brought me out of my thought process. "Did you hear me?"

I shook my head. "No, baby, I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I'm done opening everything, can I go play now?"

"You opened all of them?" I said, skeptically.

"Uh-huh" He nodded

I looked to where the gifts used to be, and sure enough there was a bare spot. All of the presents were stacked neatly in a pyramid, with the largest and most durable things on the bottom and the more fragile things toward the top. Again I say, vampires. All of the cards were setting perfectly aligned and every bit of the wrapping paper was placed in a recycling bin. I smiled and patted his back gently.

"You thanked everybody, right?"

Being the feisty little thing he is, he rolled his eyes and then said "Of course. I'm nice."

Everybody laughed, and with a final glance to me, he ran off to the baseball diamond, his new glove tucked tightly under his arm. Emmett, Jasper, Edward, Carlisle and all the wolves trailed behind him. I scanned the tables to see who was sitting, and once I spotted who I wanted to see, I sauntered right over to him and took a seat.

"Hey, Dad." I tapped his shoulder, and he turned around to look at me. He grinned and pulled me in for a hug.

He gestured to everything around him. "You plan this?"

"Oh, God, no. I could never think of all this." I paused. "It looks great though, don't you think?"

"Yeah, it looks nice, kid. Alice help you out?" Charlie grimaced and touched his upper back lightly. I didn't think anything of it, just that he may have moved the wrong way, so I went on speaking.

"She did everything, actually. She said I would just get in the way, and to be honest, I agree with her. Parties never really were my thing, after all." I told him honestly. "My only responsibility was to dress Evan in his birthday outfit and bring him here."

"You never did 'party' when you were younger, come to think of it…" He trailed off. "Saved me the trouble of lecturing you all the time."

"I'm not that kind of girl, Dad. I never was." I took a shaky breath. "Besides, I never uhm… never really had the chance. My teenage 'rebellion' years were kind of… cut short…"

I looked down to my feet, not because I was embarrassed, but because I was uncomfortable. Never would I have wanted to be the type of girl that went out and got drunk and high every night, only to have sex with every boy that was willing to take advantage of her, that just wasn't me… but when I think back, I never even had the chance to reject those times, because I had a newborn baby. I will _never_ say that I 'missed out' because of Evan, because I gained one of the most important things through that experience, my son. I was uncomfortable because when I bring up how I had Evan so young, I think it makes Charlie feel rueful for some reason. I could see the way he looked when I said things like that; I could see the sympathy for me in his eyes. I didn't want it. I already had all I needed.

He coughed, but it sounded more like a gruff. Typical Charlie, he was about to change the subject. "Well, look at that." He pointed to where everyone was playing baseball. "He sure does have an arm for such a little guy, doesn't he?"

"Emmett says he could play with the older kids when little league season comes around, but I'm not sure. I know he has the skill, he practices with the guys all the time, but I worry about him hurting himself, you know? What if one of the older boys pushes him or something?" I started to ramble. "I'd have a lawsuit out against a six year old."

"Bells, you can't worry about that kind of stuff all the time. The boy is going to get a scraped knee at some point, or maybe even break an arm or two, but hey, that's childhood. Sure, he might cry when he gets hurt, but when he looks back, you know what he will say? Wow, I had a damn good time riding that skateboard before I fell. Or, gee, spraining my ankle to catch the winning out isn't so bad when I look at the medal I got. How is he ever going to take pride in what he does if he never has the chance to thrive?"

My jaw dropped. Had Charlie just... been sentimental and wise? Sure, we had communicated more since Evan was born, but after hearing this, I couldn't speak.

"And hey, look at you. I let you play in the dirt and climb trees when you were younger, and you turned out just fine." He went on. "No missing limbs or punctured eyeballs."

"Dad?" I said flatly. "I fell out of the first tree I ever climbed. Do you remember what happened? The emergency room visit? The one that ended with me getting that purple cast?"

"Well…" Charlie gruffed again. "Anyways, that's not the point. You were always clumsy, there was no avoiding it. But Evan, he is pretty coordinated, Bells. I wouldn't worry too much about him being around older boys, he can hold his own. He can surely kick some ass in baseball, too."

We both shared a laugh, and I saw that little twinkle in his eye, the one he got when we talked about his grandson. He smiled and looked at Evan again, then back to me, and then to the ground.

"Tell me."

"Tell you what, kid?"

"What are you thinking of? What is running through your head at this very second?" My eyes seemed t squint, my body unaware of it.

He was quiet before he spoke. "He's growing up. Fast."

"Yeah, well, kids _do_ tend to do that." I said, trying to lighten the subject. He grinned and I went on. "I know exactly what you mean. Three years ago, when I found out I was pregnant with him; I was terrified; completely and utterly horrified. I didn't know what to do; I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't have experience with babies, I was never around them. My prediction was that I would be completely clueless and depend on you the whole time… but I managed to find out how to be a mom. Now here we are, and he is running and jumping and being the happy little boy I knew he would be."

He shook his head. "My grandson. Three…" There was that twinkle in his eye again. "I just can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday all he wanted was to drink his bottle and sleep, and now he's more worried about shoving dirt down his clothes."

"Hey, I have an idea." I knew this would really cheer him up. "Since Evan got that new tent, the Cullen's want to take us camping one of these upcoming weekends. Why don't you tag along? I know Turtle would love having both of his grandfather's on the same camping trip."

"Well… I'd love to Bells. But won't the Cullen's think I'm… I don't know… intruding?"

"No!" I said almost too quickly, which earned a weary glance from him. "Uhm, Dad, they'll be completely fine with it, trust me. I'm sure they would love for you to come."

"As long as they are okay with the idea, then sure. I'd love to."

I smiled. "Good. So, how have you been lately?"

"Same old, same old." He chuckled. "My cooking is still for the birds."

He sucked in a breath of air and arched his back slightly, and then he gently trailed his fingers along the upper part of his shoulder blades and clenched his eyes shut.

"Are you okay? What's wrong with your back? You keep… touching it." He didn't say anything; he just continued taking steady breaths. "Here, let me take a look at it."

Just as I got up to see if there was any noticeable problem, he jerked his head up.

"Nah, I'm fine, I've just been working longer at the station. They needed someone to stay extra hours for the past week, and I'm the one who got stuck doing it. It is just taking its toll on me, I guess."

I didn't believe a single word he was saying. I know Charlie would never lie to me about anything big, but when it came to his pride and his health, he kept all the secrets he possibly could.

"Dad. Let me see or I'm getting Carlisle." I told him sternly. He didn't budge. "I mean it, let me look."

Despite his grunts and moans he allowed me to glance at his back. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary, just his skin, and his birthmark that he has had for as long as I can remember. I traced my fingerprints over the area that he said was causing him discomfort, yet there was nothing. No rash, no temperature difference, zilch. Maybe he was right; maybe it _was_ just from working.

I looked him straight in the eye and told him "If you feel _any_ more pain, tell me, okay? Why don't you go inside and rest a little bit? Maybe that will help."

"Bella, I'm not one hundred years old. I can handle a little ache." He rolled his eyes.

"Fine, fine, but… just tell me if it starts to hurt again, alright? Promise?"

"I'm as healthy as a horse." He used his famous saying and I raised my eyebrows, showing him that I wasn't backing down. I was helping him and he will just have to get over it, plain and simple. I win. He loses. "Fine. I'll tell you. Are you happy Mrs. Stubborn?"

Right as I was about to answer, Edward was standing by my side, his left hand slipping around my waist causing the butterflies to return. I tried to hide my blush, but it was there. I could feel it and by the smug look on Edward's face, he could see it.

"Bella, Alice told me to let you know that it is time to do the cake, she wants you to go stand by Evan." He whispered in my ear.

Hello goose bumps.

All I could do was nod. I was dazzled, what can I say. He still had the same effect on me that he did since day one, but now… it was worse. I missed the hypnotic spell he put on me for so long, now I craved it. Every single cell in my body ached for his touch, his attention.

I took a deep breath and kissed Charlie's cheek.

"I'll be helping Alice with cutting the cake and other… party things." He chuckled at me. "I'll be back to talk to you, okay? Remember what I said."

He rolled his eyes and reluctantly nodded.

Edward removed his hand from my hip and intertwined our fingers, lacing them up as if they were a fragile corset. We started off taking slow, even steps through the yard, making our way to the table that Alice was perched by.

"Is everything okay with you two?" He asked gently.

"Yeah, its fine, he just… he is having back pain, and I worry about him." I explained. "He says it's just work, but still, I have a little doubt, you know? Charlie never was one to admit to defeat."

He kissed my hair, and I could hear him breathe in deeply. "Love, I'm sure he's right. The man _does_ know his body after all. I'm sure everything is going to be perfectly fine. If it makes you feel better, I will have Carlisle take a look at him after the party is finished?"

"That sounds great, thank you." I said, relieved. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you much today, other than a couple times."

He started to laugh.

"What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, Dear. It's just, you made me think of what I was doing today, and to be honest, I was talking to Evan for most of the morning. We talked a little, and then we played a little baseball. He is getting extremely competitive…"

We both looked at each other, and said "Emmett."

"He will have your son talking like a sailor within the next two weeks, mark my words." He joked.

"As bad as this sounds, I don't mind right now. Evan is happy, he loves your family."

"We've all grown to love him, to be honest. We… we _all_ love you too, Bella." He emphasized the word 'all', as his lips opened to allow the diction out.

Was he telling me he loved me? Again…. I felt my knees start to go weak. The blush I had felt earlier was returning, this one ten times more red, and twenty time more warm. I literally couldn't make my mouth form words… what would they say? I didn't know how I felt…

"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for, please excuse my forwardness…I … I don't know what came over me."

I did. It was love. I knew the feeling… I knew it quite well to be honest.

"No, no, don't be… Just, not here, okay?" I put my hand on his ice chilling cheek, taking in the feeling of his skin coming into contact with mine.

Edward nodded silently, and reached down to kiss my forehead. "Alice is asking for you, demanding actually." He smirked, showing me my favorite crooked smile.

* * *

The candles were in hand, the guests were all gathered around Evan, and he was sitting behind his cake all smiles. If I were him, I would be smiling too. Six tiers and hundreds of thousands of calories of sugar ought to be enough to make any little boy excited. Not to mention the candy decorations that layered each bit of icing that was covering the body of the cake, or the beautiful script that his name was written.

On the fourth tier, there was a quote written in black, tube icing. It was one that I had told Evan many times in the past, and it amazed me that Alice had put it on the cake. "Don't let the fear of striking out hold you back." – Babe Ruth.

Esme, who held the video camera, handed me the lighter and held a thumbs up to me. "We're all ready, Bella."

I took that as my cue, and flicked my thumb on the side of the lighter. A small, steady flame erupted from the top and I lowered it to the first candle.

One candle lit.

I heard Charlie cough again, but it slipped my mind as to what we had previously been talking about.

Two candles lit.

It was silent now, so I went on.

Three candles lit, and Evan gasped.

Everyone around me started to sing, and I joined in.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…"

There was a slight sigh, but it was a deep sigh. Almost one that sounded as if it was done in pain…

"Happy birthday, dear Evan, Happy birth-"

I should have seen it coming, I should have noticed the signs, and I should have stopped and followed my instincts earlier.

There was a rather loud thumping noise, and when I turned to see what it was, my heart started to beat a thousand times a second. The blood rushed to my head, and I could feel myself starting to get dizzy.

Charlie.

He had fallen onto the bench of the table, gripping his chest and neck. I could see the individual beads of sweat that seemed to fall from his forehead like a steady stream. His breathing was beginning to become shallow, and with each small breath he took, my adrenaline built that much more.

I pushed through the people that were between me, and my father, not caring who I knocked over in the process. I propelled my feet further, stomping on the ground like an elephant. By the time I got to him, Carlisle was already by his side, Edward standing closely behind him. Alice was near Edward, him clutching her arm while her eyes gazed over.

Everything was silent accept for the wheezing coming from Charlie. The tears gushed from my eyes as I waited for an answer. Any type of answer, not even an answer, just a clue. A clue as to what was going on, and how I could make it all go away.

Alice shook her head and looked at me with pity.

Edward whispered something in Carlisle's ear, and his head snapped up, his eyes meeting mine.

"Bella." He said quickly. "Your father is having a heart attack. We must get him to the hospital immediately, he needs treatment, and he needs it now."

Without a second thought Carlisle had lifted Charlie into his arms and was beginning to carry him to the opposite side of the yard, running at his full speed. He placed Charlie in the passenger seat and slammed the door before he zipped over to his side, and fumbled into the car himself.

Just like that, I was watching the car back out of the driveway.

The car that had my father in it. My father. The one who was suffering from a heart attack.

I didn't even get to say goodbye before the car sped down the road.

**Again, I'm sorry for the lack of updating, but I promise you, the new chapter shall be up soon. I pinky promise. Please, REVIEW, and just like always, I will review for you. (:**

**Thank you, Review, (:**

**-Kywardbbyx21**


	9. So Foreign

**Hello world! Damn, it's been a pretty long time since I've last updated, and for that I am truly sorry. My computer acted up a little bit and I had to find a new software that would allow me to type this. School was terrible thanks to a little class I hate to call Trig/Pre-calc, but It's over, and I surprisingly passed! (: Anyways, there is no excuse to make about why I haven't updated in forever, so I will stop rambling on now and let you get to the chapter. Please, READ AND REVIEWWWW! Thank you! (sorry if there is so much dialogue, but a lot went on in this chapter (: ) haha**

All I could do was stare at what had unfortunately crumbled right before my eyes. He looked so fragile, so unaware of what was currently going on inside of his body, that I honestly believed he felt no more pain. They had him on enough drugs that it was hard to decipher which tube led to which IV, and which wire led to which base. The beeping of his heart monitor was something that I was more than grateful of. It let me know that he was still with me, still breathing and still fighting. Each time it made even the slightest noise that wasn't in rhythm with the others, I felt my own heart skip a beat. His levels seems to be slowly making their way back to his normal homeostasis and it was only a matter of time before Carlisle would return to give me the latest results. Although Charlie was obviously his main priority at the moment, he still needed to follow through with the regular procedures, seeing as his actions would be monitored with the hospital, and we certainly didn't need anyone getting even the slightest bit suspicious.

Another tear rolled down my cheek until it was setting precariously on my chin, just waiting to plunge to the polished white floor that was beneath of the chair I was currently occupying. Charlie couldn't hear me sobbing and hyperventilating like a maniac, and for that, I was also thankful. I would do anything to remove the thin, translucent tubes that were carrying the necessary fluids to his body and replant them into my arms, despite my fear of needles. To be honest, I would do anything possible to take his pain and suffering away, anything in this world. There was a jump in his heart monitor and to keep myself from crying out, I bit down on my lower lip and sucked in a breath.

One small change, that's all it was. His monitor went back to normal just as quickly as it had taken a small leap, yet I was still on edge. Just then, there was a timid knock at the wooden door. I turned my full attention to where the sound came from, and watched as a skinny nurse sauntered over to his bedside. Her light blond hair was pulled up into an updo, and her smile was sincere. This wasn't the same nurse that Charlie had earlier, which slightly frustrated me. Can't he keep one steady nurse? One that knows his previous statistics, and his story?

"Having any problems, Miss Swan?" Her high pitched voice called to me. In guiding my eyes to her, I could see that her name tag read 'Juliette'.

I shook my head. "No, just some sporadic heartbeats here and there, but other than that... no."

"I will definitely look into that." she jotted a few things down on her notepad that she was holding, and looked back up to me. "I'm just going to print out a copy of his heartbeats, alright? As soon as I'm done that, all I have to do is check his fluids and then Dr. Cullen will be in to see you."

"Thank you." I barely breathed.

Juliette swiftly paced over to the machine that collected information about Charlie's heart rate, and pushed a button that initiated the results to neatly be printed from the bottom. A wide, yet thin sheet of paper rolled it's way out of the slot, and I tried to catch a glance. The wavy line that took up most of the room looked like a small snake slithering almost evenly over the page. Juliette then neatly folded the results into a bundle and placed them on her clipboard, while walking over to Charlie's IV stand. Her hands made their way to the top of the fluid bag and removed it from the metal pole, before bringing it down to eye level. After cocking her head to the side, she hung the pouch where she had just gotten it from and made her way to me.

"His heartbeats seem to be steadying more, and his IV doesn't need to be replaced at this very moment, so, do you have any questions?" Juliette softly said.

"None, other than when can Dr. Cullen be in? I _really_ must to speak with him."

"I'm sorry ma'am, but Dr. Cullen is a very desirable doctor and is quite busy at the moment. It could be another few minutes, but he will be in shortly. Your father is stable at the moment, nothing needs to be addressed at this time." she smiled.

"Everything needs to be addressed at this time..." I mumbled. "Every. Single. Thing."

She gave me an apologetic look and quietly turned on her toes to make her way out the door. It hit the frame, and I put my heads in my hands, sighing in the process. I was alone again. Just me, and Charlie's clueless body lying on the hospital bed, simply keeping himself alive. Barely keeping him alive.

No sooner than that, there was another knock at the door. At first I thought it would be the dainty little nurse back for something she may have forgotten, but when the pale white skin and blond hair poked through a crack, I knew I was mistaken.

"Carlisle." I gasped and ran to him. He opened his arms to me and I graciously leaned into his embrace.

"Bella," He said into my hair, "Your father will be alright. We ran some tests, as you know, and I can clearly see that his prognosis looks positive."

"He can come home?" I asked hopefully, truly thinking the answer may be yes.

"Eventually..." He said sympathetically. "You see, your father suffered from something that although is not always fatal, must be monitored extremely closely. Before he is able to go home, we must be sure that another attack isn't going to make it's way into the picture.

My heart dropped and all I could do was nod. I felt my mouth start to taste like metal and my chest tighten as the tears made their way to just behind my eyelids.

"Now, now, don't get all worked up, dear." He soothed me. "Charlie _is_ going to be okay, and he _will_ be able to come home, just not at this time. You do want us to watch him and make sure he is stable enough to live his life normally after this, right?" Carlisle smiled.

"Of course I do, it's just... hard." I sighed. "He's always been the strong one, and he's always been the one who could handle things... but _look_ at him! He's sitting in a hospital bed, hooked up to God only knows how many wires and tubes, and he's unconscious How exactly is he.. uhm, doing?"

"Well, as you know, he has suffered a heart attack. I believe the reason is simply his age, his lifestyle, and his diet. Your father is inching towards his fifties, and that is the prime age for this to happen to a man. He enjoys food that isn't necessarily good for him, and that also can contribute to what happened. All in all, I see no medical reason behind what happened to Charlie, which is always a good thing. Once he is released from the hospital, I'll refer him to a specialist for some cardiac rehabilitation, but I want to work with him a little on what to eat, and things to, and not to do."

I nodded, thankful that Carlisle was putting this into terms that I could easily comprehend. "How long will he have to stay here? I... I want him home."

"Judging by his condition and progress, I'll say a two days, just to be safe." He said gently.

"Okay." I whispered. To me, two days with Charlie in a hospital would seem like an eternity, but it is better than him never returning home... "Thank yo-"

I was cut off by my cell phone beginning to vibrate in my pocket. I retracted it, and noticed that it was Edward calling.

"Excuse me for just one moment, Carlisle. It's Edward calling, and he has Evan, I need to make sure everything is going smoothly." I informed him.

He quickly nodded and said "Of course, do what you need to do."

I flipped the phone open and pressed it to my ear.

"Hello?" I said calmly, expecting to hear Edward on the other line.

_"Mommy, when are you coming back?"_ Evan was the one behind the little voice.

I smiled, simply hearing him brightened my outlook. "I'll be home soon, sweetheart, are you okay? Do you need anything?"

_"No."_ He paused. _"I just miss you lots."_

"Baby, Mommy misses you too. It's just that she's here right now with Grandpa Charlie, because he's... sick." Evan wouldn't understand what a heart attack is and there's no need to frighten him.

_"I know, Uncle Emmett told me that's why he left. Is he okay? When are you gonna bring him back?"_ He perked up a bit.

"Uhm, actually Turtle, Grandpa Charlie is going to stay the night here at the hospital... but he will be home very soon, okay? Carlisle is going to look after him, and he should be good to go." I tried to sound positive.

_"Okay, Mommy, I miss him too."_ He yawned.

I looked up at the clock on the wall and was shocked to see that it was already almost ten o'clock. I had been here much longer than I had thought. "Turtle, can you put Edward on the phone for me?"

I heard some rustling and then there was a throat clearing. A beautiful velvet voice was the next thing I heard. _"Bella, you wanted to speak with me?"_

"Edward, I hate to ask you of this, but seeing as I'm still here, could you maybe put Evan to bed? He should have some pajamas there and his toothbrush is in the upstairs bathroom. I didn't realize it was this late, I'm sorry." I said apologetically.

"_Bella, love, don't worry about anything, he is already in his pajamas, and as of now he is eating a snack in the living room with Emmett. They're watching 'Cars'."_ He chuckled.

I sighed. "Thank you, so much Edward, really. You're making this a lot easier on me, and I truly am appreciative for it. I should probably get off the phone though, so I can say goodbye to Charlie and make my home.. I mean, to your home." I blushed, immediately regretting the slip up.

_"I'll see you when you get **home**." _He emphasized the word, and continued. _"And don't eat anything on the way here... that's taken care of."_

"Thanks again" I said, and hung up the phone. I stuck it back in my pocket and looked up to Carlisle who was already smiling at me.

He simply nodded and said "I'm going to leave you two alone so you can say goodbye, and I shall see you here tomorrow, correct?"

"Of course you will." I smiled. "Bright and early."

Carlisle walked to me and wrapped me in a fatherly hug, which is exactly what I needed right now. I always seen him as a second father to me, especially now. "Okay, Dear. I'll be here through the night with him, and I shall call you if anything changed... But don't worry, he should be perfectly stable."

"Thank you Carlisle, so very much." I whispered as he walked out of the room and closed the door quietly and gently.

I slowly shuffled to Charlie's bedside, trying hard not to make any additional noise. Although I know he couldn't hear me, I still felt like I needed to keep things as peaceful and calm as humanly possible. I looked over his frail body and tried to keep my breath from shaking. _He's going to be alright, _I kept repeating to myself. No matter how many times I ran over those few words, I still was doubtful, despite what Carlisle had said. I carefully placed my hand on his left arm, the one with the least amount of tubing leading out of it and gently moved my thumb back and forth, just as he used to do for me when I was younger.

Again, I knew he couldn't hear me, yet I just thought it was necessary to _tell_ him goodbye.

"Dad?" I whispered softly. "I'm so sorry this had to happen to you... you don't deserve this, you didn't deserve any of it. I know you're unconscious right now, but don't worry, Carlisle said you will be waking up soon. I hate seeing you like this... asleep, almost... but at least you aren't comprehending all of this craziness. Things will get better, I promise. With Carlisle as your doctor, you are in the best hands you could possibly be in..."

There was a sudden and single beep that came from one of his monitors, yet it faded away just as fast as it appeared. My heart began tor race and in that moment, I was contemplating just staying the night in the hospital, but then my thoughts changed to my little boy's face. No matter how much I wanted to stay here and look after Charlie, there was another man that had my heart. He is 3'4'' and has a smile that I would travel to the ends of the earth to see. Charlie is my father, and I love him more than I could ever explain, but Evan is my son, and nothing in this world would keep my from him. He needs me.

"Dad, Evan is with the Cullen's as of right now, but... I need to be with him. I promise you, I'll be back tomorrow, and I'll stay the whole day, alright? As soon as they get some of these... wires... out of you, I'll bring your little man in to see you, I know he would love that." I smiled. "I love you, Dad. Don't forget it..."

* * *

I walked into the Cullen's home, and slipped my shoes off by the door. In hanging my jacket on the rack, I noticed that the house was quiet... too quiet for Emmett to be anywhere near it. I walked through the entryway and around the corner into the living room to find Alice and Jasper sitting on the couch looking at a laptop.

"Hey, uhm, where's Ev?" I said quietly.

Alice was the one to answer me, and she did so with a smile I might add. "The little guy fell asleep about fifteen or twenty minutes ago. Emmett tired him out, and they watched Cars until he drifted to sleep." she giggled. "Edward took him upstairs and put him to bed just a few minutes ago, actually."

"Great, thanks for keeping an eyes on him, all of you. I _really_ appreciate it."

"Bella, you don't have to apologize. You and Evan are a part of this family. You always have been, and we love him. It was our pleasure to watch him, especially Esme."

I nodded. "Which room is he in? I want to check on him really quick, you know, tell him goodnight."

"As far as I know, he's in Edward's room. Emmett wanted to put him in his bed, but Edward simply refused. It was kind of cute actually... Like... like Edward was acting almost like a..." She stopped, but I knew what she was going to say.

She was going to say he was acting like a father, and while most women would loathe the idea of a man other than the father of her child acting as his Dad, I was almost pleased. Evan's father was a horrible man, and quite nonexistent... Edward was here, and Edward was... Edward.

"I understand." I told her. "If you'd excuse me, I think a little boy needs a kiss from his mommy." I smiled.

She nodded and I headed up the stairs and followed the right hallways until I reached the door that led into Edward's room. I slowly let the door creak open, and I tiptoed inside, trying to keep quiet while doing so. I made my way to the bed that was now facing the wall made of windows and spotted a little boy curled up under the covers.

I ran my fingers through his beautiful brown hair and marveled over how adorable he was when he slept. His little body falling slightly each time he exhaled, the way his eyelids fluttered. This tiny creature was extraordinary and he was my world.

"Goodnight, Turtle. Mommy loves you, oh so much." I kissed his forehead and right when I was about to turn to leave the room, there was a hand on my shoulder.

For once, I didn't shutter or shiver. I leaned right into, knowing exactly who it was. I was comfortable with this now, I yearned for it. Edward's touch was something I didn't want to live without again, ever again.

"He told me that you let him have soda before bed..." Edward quietly chuckled.

I sighed. "That boy.. so ornery." I smirked.

Edward's hand slowly slid down from my shoulder blades, trailing swirl patterns down my arm. My breath got caught in my throat and I loved every second of it. He made his fingertips dip into mine and intertwined each one between the spaces above my palm.

"Are you hungry?" He whispered directly into my ear, receiving a small shiver in response.

I nodded and we made our way out of the bedroom, and down the stairs. Our hands were still locked together, and I didn't want that to change. I enjoyed the feeling of his skin touching mine. He led me past the dimly lit kitchen, and into the dining room that was illuminated by at least thirty glowing candles. I inhaled and I was at ease. My favorite scent was wafting gently around the room. On the table, there was a plate full of what appeared to be fettuccine Alfredo. Edward really knew how to impress a person...

He pulled my chair out for me, and I sat down, blushing the whole time.

"I don't understand why you shy away from it, to be honest. It is the most beautiful thing I have yet to see on this earth, Bella." He softly caressed my cheek, running the tip of his thumb over my blush.

My face got even redder, and the smile he flashed was even bigger.

"You can always do that to me, you know. There's just... something about you." I admitted. "Your dazzling effect seems to be quite strong tonight."

There was no hiding anything. The way I felt about Edward hadn't changed since the first day I met him, it was just pushed to the back of my mind. But... he's here, and I'm here, and I simply can't stand another heartbreak

"Is that so?" He purred smoothly.

All I could do was stare at his features. His high cheek bones, his golden, glassy eyes, the way he grinned, his phenomenal skin... He was perfect, that was obvious. When you stand the two of us beside each other, there is no comparison. Edward is pure beauty, while I'm just... average.

I picked up the fork that was beside my plate and began to twirl the pasta around the spokes before putting it into my mouth. Of course the taste was exquisite, but I didn't expect anything less. Edward was a top chef on his own, let alone the fact that I'd hardly eaten anything all day.

"Good?" He asked

"Edward, that Is a silly question." I rolled my eyes. "You know I love your cooking."

He gently smiled. Not his normal smile, but one that was filled with insecurities. I let it slide, not wanting to get into anything too deep.

"So, tell me. How's he doing?"

I swallowed the food that was in my mouth, and dabbed the corner of my lips with the napkin. "Well, Carlisle ran some tests, he should be okay... eventually. They're keeping him in the hospital for a couple of days just to make sure everything checks out alright, but Carlisle promised me he would be okay..."

Edward reaches his hand under the table and set it on my knee. I silently gasped, and not because I was surprised. "Bella, he is going to be perfectly fine once this is all over and done with, I solemnly swear to you."

"I just worry about him, he's so... Charlie." I admitted. "He downplays everything, you know? He would never admit to being in pain, or being worried. He doesn't like to show his emotions, and it kills me because how am I supposed to know when he needs me? Huh? How am I supposed to know when I need to intervene and get him some sort of help?"

I was getting worked up and it was clear that Edward could see that. "Love, Charlie is a strong man. A very, very, _very_ strong man. It... gets in the way of his pride when he admits to things like that. Now, don't go off of my word here, but I think he's actually looking out for you by doing this."

"How?" I protested.

"Well, look at it this way. Would you ever want Evan to see you upset?"

I was silent and took another bite of my dinner.

"Would you ever want Evan to see you weak, in pain, or hurt?" He continued, and when I didn't speak again, he went on. "See, it's a parental instinct. You don't want you child to see you when you are hurt in any way."

Did he always have to know everything? Did he seriously always have to be right? Of course he did, he's Edward Cullen.

I shook it off and went back to eating the pasta that was in front of me. With each bite, I could feel Edward staring at me more and more, but I was used to this. When I ate, he was usually quiet, waiting on me to finish. Most people would feel intimidated by having someone stare at them while they ate, but I didn't mind. It was nice to know that he was there and that he was observing me.

The silence gave me a chance to collect my jumbled up thoughts. Today was chaotic, disastrous, and hectic, but I can't even imagine what it would have been like if I hadn't had the help of the Cullens. I'm really starting to feel like part of the family again, and that's another one of those feelings that I hope to never fade.

"Edward, I know I said it earlier, but really, thank you. Today could have been... terrible. I could have... lost... him. But, thanks to Carlisle, he's safe inside a hospital getting the treatment that he needs. And I know it's his job and all, but I just feel like he's gone above and beyond with Charlie and-"

He cut me off. "Bella, love, you don't have to thank us for anything, you do realize this don't you?"

"Edward, let me finish." I told him. He ruefully nodded. "As I was saying, thank you. Carlisle had the medical part of this day all on his own, but that leaves a heap of thanks to you, Esme, Alice, Emmett and Jazz. Ever since that day at the doctor's office with Evan, when I needed someone to look after him, your family has been more than kind with welcoming him into your home. I appreciate that more than you could ever imagine. Turtle may be feisty, stubborn, and loud, but he doesn't take to too many people, especially not the way he took to your family. I mean, he calls you... Dad." I took a breath. "I guess I sound like a big idiot right now, but I just want you to know how much you guys being in our lives means to me. He loves you guys, I love you guys, and I think..."

I didn't know what was coming over me, but I kept talking. "I think I love..."

Edward's eyes grew to new sizes and in no time at all he had pulled me from my seat and was standing dangerously close to me. His large hands were resting gently on my arms and his breath was in my face. It was pure heaven. His sculpted chest was touching mine, and I knew he could hear my deep breathing.

"Bella, say it..." He coaxed me. "If you really want to, and you really mean it... tell me..."

Now I had no idea what I was doing, what I was saying, nothing. But I did know what I felt. I wanted him to know what I felt.

"Edward, you can't leave me again... you can't just... go away when you get scared, or angry with me. It's not just _me_ anymore. Evan... he's part of me, we're a package deal. And I'm not having his second father walk out on him, do you hear me?" My whispered words were just as shaky as my body was.

He inched his face closer to mine and I could now smell his scent stronger than before. It was enough to make me go weak at the knees and just collapse into him, but I held my ground.

"Please, I need to hear you say it. I'll get on my hands and knees right now and beg you to say it, but please, only do if you mean it." His voice was a whisper as well.

I looked into his eyes, and I saw it. I saw all that I wanted, and all that we had before. It was still there, I knew it was. "Edward, I love you. I never stopped..."

That's all it took.

His soft lips were on mine once again and I didn't try to stop them. I had no intention of backing away, or being afraid. This is where I wanted to be with him. I hadn't had this type of touch in so long that it was almost foreign to me, yet I knew exactly what I was doing. Our mouths moved in synchronization, like the perfect puzzle that fit together just right. He moved his hands down to my waist and used his thumb to rub a small circle on my hip. My heart was beating into his chest, I could feel it. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling myself that much closer to him.

I could feel my lips coming detached from his, so I immediately rested my head on his chest. I felt safe. I felt loved.

He kissed the top of my head like he had done so many times before. "I love you too, I hope you know that. I'll rebuild my promise to you, Bella..."

**Again, sorry it took so long to update. Microsoft stopped working on my computer, school, and just... life took over for a little while, and for that I'm sorry. But, I'm back, and I hope you're still following me. Please, as always, READ AND REVIEW! (: It would make my day, I promise. (: Blah, blah, blah, you know the drill. If you review for me, i promise to review back! (:**

**Thank you!**

_**Review review review review review (:**_


	10. Collecting Leaves

**I know how bad you all want to kill me and I understand. I'm so, so, _so_ sorry that this chapter took so long to get out. I got surgery in March and was diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis. It's been a.. weird.. couple months dealing with new medications and doctor's appointments, but, it's all good now. I had a new semester in school, which of course brings in new performances. Blah. Either way, I am very sorry for the delay. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! As always, if you REVIEW for me, I REVIEW BACK (: Without further adieu, here is chapter 10 (:**

**-Kywardbby21**

My car was smoothly driving along a back road, despite the fact that my hands were shaking like a leaf. The cool air from the vents were blowing on my skin, calming me down a bit, but I was still growing more nervous with each second. How would he be today? Would there be more monitors connected to him? Maybe less? Is his prognosis still positive? So many questions about Charlie were buzzing in my head that I was surprised I could even concentrate on the open road ahead of me. Even so, there was another question that didn't involve Charlie at all... Why did Rosalie want to accompany me to the hospital this morning?

As you could imagine, she was sitting perfectly in the passengers seat. Her hands were positioned just right on her lap so that you could see each and every beautifully painted nail. Flowing, blond hair sat atop her shoulders, framing her strong facial features. Even her eyes seemed to twinkle while she looked stiffly ahead. She hadn't said a word to me the whole ride, and we had been in the car for almost ten minutes. I felt awkward, but I knew that she must have a reason for coming... It isn't like Rosalie just to randomly volunteer to be around me, or let alone Charlie in the hospital.

I let my thoughts wonder on until I came to a stop sign that I had missed. I unknowingly drove past it, almost colliding into an oncoming truck. In a panic induced motion, I swerved to the right, almost hitting a tree. Thankfully the steering wheel hadn't moved too much, and I was able to regain control.. but certainly not without fright. I took a few deep breaths and looked to Rosalie, expecting her to make a rude remark.

"I understand how you feel, you know" She breathed in what sounded like a whisper. "I know what you went through."

My breath caught in my throat. "What?" I said, my voice cracking.

"I.. I can relate... to what... happened to you. When we... were away." She seemed as if she were looking for the words to say, in attempt to.. not hurt me? "I'm sorry, so very, _very_ sorry that you had to go through something as... malicious... as that. And I know that you don't favor me, which is my fault in the first place for being cruel to you, but I just couldn't... go on... without talking to you about this."

I couldn't get my mouth to form anything that my mind wanted to say. I was utterly at a loss for words. I bit my lip... Hard.

Rosalie continued. "I know how difficult it is to talk about... these things, but first I want to apologize. Before we left... I always used to comment on how incredibly weak you were. I didn't think you were strong enough for a relationship with one of my kind, let alone with Edward. I used to say that you would never understand what it feels like to truly suffer and be miserable. But... Bella, I was wrong. I. Was. Dead. Wrong. I am sorry for all of the things I have ever said about you. Never again will I doubt you, or look down upon you. As I have said, I have been through what you have, many, many years ago. Even still, I know that it takes _strength_ to overcome it. Not just the.. rape.. itself, but the effects afterward. The physical pain, the emotional instability, the fact that you can't trust a single person on this Earth, always thinking that someone is out to harm you. It was the worst thing I had ever endured, and I know that you must feel the same. I'm also sorry for bringing it up to you, but I needed you to know that... If you need someone to talk to about this, I'm here. There are things you may not want Edward to know just yet, or things that would set Alice over the top, and for those things, you can confide in me."

I could feel my face start to get warm and my eyes start to water. My mouth tasted like metal and my breathing became shallow and swift. If there was one thing in this world I despised thinking of, it had to be what happened to me on that chilly September evening. Even the thought of it had my eyes starting to blur and every hair on my body to stand on end.

"T-thank you, Rosalie. That means a lot to me, coming from you." were the words my lips decided to let out. I knew how hard it was for her to talk to me, especially about something that involved her past. We all knew Rosalie wasn't exactly what one would call open, but then again, neither am I.

I quickly wiped a tear away that was beginning to form. Right as I did that, another took it's place. I didn't bother anymore. It's not like I wanted to cry, or even that I thought I had a reason to. I guess it was just a reaction to my past making its way into my present. A few tears strolled down my cheeks until Rosalie slowly lifted her hand to my face. She placed her cold finger right on the bottom of my jawline and moved it upwards to my eye, catching the tears in their path. She did the same for my other cheek before she sighed.

"I didn't mean to make you cry, Bella. I just wanted to let you know that... you have someone you can talk to about it. A friend you can talk to."

From her apologizing to me, to her wiping my tears away, and even to her encouraging me to confide in her, I was shocked. This is not the Rosalie Hale that I once knew, but a new Rosalie Hale that I think... wanted to be my friend.

A couple seconds of silence passed by when I realized there actually was something that I wanted to ask her. Something that I couldn't ask any other person, due to the fact that they hadn't ever experienced what _we_ had.

"Rosalie?" I asked, quietly.

She looked at me, her eyes piercing kindly into mine. "Yes?"

"How long?"

"How long, what?" She grasped towards what I was saying, but still didn't get it. "How long ago for me? How long did it last...?"

I shook my head and took a deep breath. "How long until the fear goes away? The fear that no matter where you go, or what you do, someone is going to hurt you."

"Oh. That." She looked down to her lap, and then back up to me. Her face was so understanding that I couldn't look at it for too long, before I turned back to the long road ahead of me. "Well, for me, it was a few months. But it was only that short, because the second after it happened, I was already being transformed into a vampire. When I woke, I was invincible. Any man that ever tried to lay a hand on me would have that hand broken in every place possible and have it ripped from his body. I'd imagine that for a human, it would take more time. You have to first come to terms with what actually did happen, and you obviously have. After that, you need to surround yourself with people that you know will never put you in harms way."

Rosalie looked at me for a second before she continued. "You've done that, I believe. Especially with Evan."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, what is your very first priority right this second."

Without thinking, I answered. "Evan Swan."

She smiled. "See?"

"Not exactly…" I shook my head. "You said for me to surround myself with people that I know would never hurt me, but it's sort of backwards with Evan and I. I need to make sure _he_ is with those who will not harm _him_. I'm not necessarily worried about myself anymore."

"That's my point, Bella. Evan is the most important thing in your life. His well being is much more important than your own to you, because you are his mother. So, if you are allowing Evan to be alone with the people around you, then you obviously feel more than absolutely safe with them. Them, meaning us. Do you get it?"

For the first time this whole car ride, I truly understood what Rosalie was talking about. If I could trust the Cullens' with Evan, then I could trust them with everything. I mean, I obviously trusted them in the first place, but this proves it. Edward will not leave me again, he will not hurt me. He'd never in a million years do anything to upset Evan. He was, after all his… Dad.

"I think I understand what you're saying." I flicked on my left turn signal and made a smooth turn onto the next road. I was one second closer to seeing Charlie, and one second less from my time of being on common grounds with Rosalie. How long could this mood last, anyways?

"May I ask you something, now?" She almost pleaded.

I nodded and turned up the air conditioner another notch as a bead of sweat began to form on the back of my neck.

"You don't have to answer this if you don't wish too. I guess I really shouldn't be asking this in the first place, but then again, I can't ask anyone else."

"Go on" I ruefully urged.

"Did you ever think that maybe it was meant to happen to you? That maybe, you were put in that situation for a reason?"

That question had never dawned on me until then. I never necessarily whether or not I was meant to be raped, whether I was meant to have my innocent ripped away from me, or whether I was meant to be a teenage mother. Without thinking, I answered "Yes."

Rosalie's eyes got wide and she stared intently at me, waiting for an explanation.

"Maybe I wasn't meant to go through what I went through. It's not like I ever wanted it to happen, of course not, but as I sit here and think of what it has brought me, how can I not say that it was 'meant for me'? I never actually thought about having children, especially not as a teenager, but Evan is the single most amazing thing that has ever happened to me."

"And..." She pushed.

"Well, I got him from a terrible experience. I guess you could say he was my light at the end of a dark tunnel. A very, very, _very_ frighteningly long tunnel. All mothers can say that their child is beautiful, that their child showed them a new kind of love, and that their child opened their eyes to new beginnings, but how many can say that their baby saved them? That small, five pound, two ounce, baby boy saved me from myself."

"But what about all you went through?"

"Rosalie, the... rape... itself was without a doubt damaging. Physically and mentally, I've somewhat changed. I worry more, I sleep less, and I am quite frankly afraid of the human population, but after what I went through... after what _we_ went through, of course moving on from it is difficult. It's a slow process, but a rewarding one."

She sighed. "I know that, Bella. I meant what you went through with Evan. The pregnancy and when he was an infant."

"My pregnancy was just like any other teenage pregnancy, long and scary. I didn't know who to turn to, what to do, or even how to do anything. Charlie helped, but I still lacked that motherly figure to guide me. I suppose it was instinct? Oh, I don't know. I just sort of went with what was thrown at me."

"And you still think it was worth it?" She pondered.

"Well how can I not?"

It was silent for a few minutes. I concentrated on my driving and on how I planned to keep calm when I saw Charlie. Would he be better? Worse? Stable? Who knew. I obviously wanted to see him and to be by his side in his time of need, but a miniscule part of me almost wanted to turn around and go home. Not out of spite, not out of selfishness, but out of fear. I was terrified to see my own father in a hospital bed again.

"Bella, may I ask you something else? Something completely different?" She spoke softly and deliberately.

How could I tell her no at this point? She was helping me in a way. "Sure."

"Do you think that you, Edward, and Evan are somewhat like a family?"

Well, there was something I was not expecting, not in the least. I pondered over what my response would be before I actually voiced it. I wanted to be sure not to say the wrong thing, with the wrong words.

"Yes, but with differentiating qualities than a 'regular' family. Evan is my heart and he is my world. He has me wrapped around each of his little fingers, and has me on my toes at all times. Simply, he is my son, and I am his mother. Edward, I think, feels the same towards Evan as I do. I used to think there was no possible way that he loved Evan the way I do, because no person could ever love that little boy the way I do… but Edward somehow _does_. He has known him for such a short amount of time, yet is already attached to him."

"The feeling is completely mutual with Evan." Rosalie grinned.

"Exactly, and that's why I'm just so… overjoyed, and confused at the same time. Evan, as you know, calls him 'Dad', which at first, I was not a fan of, but now I am more than fine with it. I'm just confused, because it's like Evan and Edward have this freaky bond going on. Haven't you noticed that? It's a special, adorable, and irreplaceable bond that the two of them have formed. I… I love it. It makes everything so easy. Almost like this is _supposed_ to happen. I was supposed to have a heartbreak with Edward at first, I was supposed to get pregnant with Evan and have him be just the way he is. I was supposed to take Evan to the doctors on the one day that Carlisle was there, and I was supposed to come back to the house and reunite with you all. This whole beautiful mess of things kind of has me believing in fate. I am where I am supposed to be, with who I am supposed to be with."

"So, if you don't mind me asking, does that mean that you and Edward are… in love…. Again?"

I bit my lip. My cheeks began to feel warmer than before and I knew at once that the shade of pink was starting to appear.

"I never stopped loving your brother, Rosalie. I may have been… well, a complete basket case when he left, but it's _because_ I loved him. I always have loved him, I still do love him, and quite frankly, I always will." It felt very foreign to me to be opening up to her like this.

She looked down to the floor for a few seconds and I almost thought I heard her stutter for once.

"W-will you have him change you?"

"Now? Absolutely not. Evan needs a mother, and I wouldn't be much of a mother if I constantly thirsted for blood… something he has running all through his body."

"That's very… wise of you, Bella."

"When Evan is a little older, and things are still going the way they are, then I see no reason why not.. but it's just not possible right now."

Rosalie nodded. "I understand."

The rest of the ride to the hospital was silent, as we were both engrossed in our own thoughts. I kept my eyes on the road, my hands on the wheel, and my thoughts on my future. Our future. Mine, Evan, and Edward's that is. Rosalie's questions sparked some of my own that had my attention at the moment. Would I ever be changed into a vampire so I can live out my life with Edward? Or would I stay human to live and die, being with Evan. Of course, no matter what mortality type I chose, I know that Evan and Edward both would be by my side. Me being a vampire would never, I repeat _never_ push Evan away from me. He is my child, first and foremost.

Then again, Edward is my soul mate. No matter how old I am, he will still love me the way he does now. At this moment in time, I am technically older than him, and I don't mind it at all. I'm twenty-one and he is seventeen.

Thinking about it now, I am positive that someday I will be transformed into a vampire, but how will I ever explain that to Evan. When the actual transformation happens, I want Evan to be old enough so that he can know what vampires are. He would need to be old enough so that he could comprehend it, but also accept it. Eleven, thirteen, fifteen? What would be the right age to explain these things to him.

Would he ever want to be a vampire himself? Would I ever have the heart to change him? To have him suffer through the transformation, the complexity of the life? The life that I had always longed for, but never truly known.

All of these thoughts buzzed in my head but quickly evaporated when I realized that my car was parked, the keys were in my hand, and Rosalie was already outside the vehicle waiting for me. I shook my worries of the future away, only to have my worries of the present arrive. Charlie. With shaky hands, I got out of the car and shut the door before walking with Rosalie into the hospital. We passed through the front desk, three long hallways, and through an elevator before we were in front of Charlie's room. I knocked quietly on the door before I turned the knob to open it.

* * *

**Edward's POV (babysitting Evan)**

"Are you sure that is what you want to do, Evan?" I asked for the third time, in utter shock at his choice. When I questioned him about what he wanted to do today, he told me that he wanted to find leaves, and then later changes his answer to collect leaves.

Being Evan, he rolled his eyes before answering. "Dad, yes. I like leaves."

As odd as his request was, I saw no harm in going outside for the purpose of collecting leaves. We could go see a few different types of trees, pick up leaves from each kind, and maybe even some bark samples. If he really did enjoy collecting leaves, I could get him a scrapbook to keep his findings in.

"Okay, then let's get some sunscreen on you. You and I both know your mother likes to see you sunburn free." I chuckled at how overprotective Bella was. Sure, Evan was pale, but Bella was like a sunscreen soldier.

He took my hand and we walked into one of the downstairs bathrooms. I opened the medicine cabinet that now housed articles that Bella or Evan may need at some point. I rummaged through multiple boxes of band aids, three tubes of children's toothpaste, some baby Advil, a few dinosaur shaped flossers, and a thing of neosporin before I came to the sunscreen.

In looking at the different bottles, I took a few glances at Evan. He was wearing a tee shirt with a pair of plaid shorts and a pair of flip flops. Not too much skin showing, but still enough that needed to be covered. I went for the spray on SPF 50 and took it from the cabinet.

"Alright, Evan, I'm going to need you to close your Oculi." He looked at me as if I had three heads. "Well, I need you to close them so that the sunscreen does not get in them. Getting sunscreen in your eyes would hurt very badly and could actually cause damage to your eyes."

"All you had to say was eyeball." He laughed at himself.

Evan scrunched his eyes shut and put his hands over his eyelids. He even managed to cover his nostrils in the process. I began spraying his face, making sure that each area of skin was thoroughly covered with the translucent liquid. I moved from his face to his neck, to his arms, being sure to get everywhere. Last were his legs and feet. Bella mentioned to me before that for some reason, his toes always seemed to be sensitive to the sun, so I was extra careful in going over them twice.

"Looks like we're ready to head out." I said eagerly as I put the sunscreen back in the cabinet. "Race you to the backyard."

Before I even finished my sentence, he was running swiftly to the sliding glass doors. I could hear his laughter being to slightly fade as he made his way to the yard. I waited a good four seconds before I started walking in the correct direction, allowing him to win our race.

Once I got to the door, I pulled my light jacket off of the counter and slipped it on. I was already wearing jeans to cover my legs and I needed to be sure not too much of my skin would be exposed. Evan noticed that our skin glistened in sunlight, but we told him it was because of the soap and body sprays we used. Not a very good excuse, but it was legitimate to a four year old.

"What leaves can I have?" He asked me, once I was standing beside him.

"You can have whatever leaf you want." I smiled at him. "We have a few different kinds on the property, and I would be more than happy to show them to you."

"What about that one over there?" He pointed his tiny finger to a small tree that was currently shaded by the house. "The pear one?"

We walked to it, and he began picking a few leaves off the ground. "This is a Concorde pear tree. You see how the leaves are sort of shaped like an eye? A pointy oval? Feel the texture, Evan. They are very smooth."

He ran his finger along the surface of the leaf and seemed happy. "I like the stems. They're little."

"Good!" I praised him. "The stems for these types of leaves are very small."

Evan put two leaves into the bag I was carrying and began looking around for a new type of tree to examine. He had his sights set on a Lodge pole pine tree that was somewhere around sixty feet tall.

We strolled to the tree and Evan began to ask me questions about the type of tree it was. For the last tree, I just started explaining facts, but now he was _asking_ me. I could feel the corners of my lips begin to rise.

"Why is it so big?" He wondered. "Why don't the leaves ever leave?"

"Well, it is tall, because that is just what kind of tree it is. Lodge pole pine trees tend to grow to about seventy feet tall. This one has a little over ten more feet to grow."

"Wow. Will I get that tall?" His eyes widened with excitement.

I laughed at his innocence. "Not exactly seventy feet tall, but you will be a pretty tall boy."

"How about as tall as you?"

I cocked my head to the side, thinking of the right way to answer his question. Evan could not inherit my genes because he was not my biological son. As much as it displeased me, I knew this was the ultimate truth. Then again, Bella was five foot four, which is average for a woman. Not knowing how tall Evan's biological father was, predicting his possible height off the top of my head was a bit difficult

"You could be as tall as me, as tall as Carlisle, as tall as Emmett, or maybe as tall as Jasper. It all depends, Buddy. Height doesn't make the man." I reassured him.

His eyebrows came together, the same way his mothers' always did when she was deep in thought. "Well then what does make the man?"

Evan never ceased to intrigue me. What was meant to be a little joke turned into a question that I again, wasn't sure how to answer. In some ways, I think Evan is more intelligent than I am.

"The heart makes the man." I bent down so I was on his level. He handed me a small greenish-yellow bushel of pine leaves that he picked off the ground. "A good man has to have a loving and understanding heart."

"You have a heart and you love people, like my mommy and me. You understand her sometime when I don't know what she means. Does that mean that you're a man?"

I looked into his eyes with sincerity and answered "I sure hope it does."

"I think you're a man. I think you're an even better Dad."

And just like that, he went on asking me about this specific type of leaf. To Evan, telling me I was a good man and a good father was nothing, but to me, it meant everything.

"Why is this leaf pointy?" He asked, meaning the Lodge pole pine leaf.

"This tree is a type of pine tree, which means it is a coniferous tree. Coniferous trees don't lose their leaves in the winter like deciduous trees do." I explained. "These leaves in particular can grow from one to three inches in length. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Yeah." He agreed.

Evan picked up a few of the pine tree leaves and stuffed them into the bag with the others. We began walking around and he would occasionally ask to stop at a certain tree. Sometimes he would pick up leaves that were in perfect condition, other times he would choose ones that had holes in them or were ripped in half. I have to say, I enjoyed his variety.

As we walked, we would talk about different things he liked and different things he hated. For example, he didn't like Swiss cheese because it had holes in it and he simply thought that was weird. Also, when using condiments, he always likes to make a picture. Making faces with ketchup was his favorite. When it came down to it, he preferred using a spoon over a fork while eating, because it was easier for him to scoop food onto. Evan enjoyed getting dirty and surprisingly liked getting baths. On the other hand, he despised getting his hands sticky. He does not enjoy wearing red because he thinks it makes him look like a strawberry, but loves wearing blue because it is his favorite color.

Listening to him randomly tell things about himself made me realize how much of an individual he was. He may be Bella's son, but that doesn't mean his habits are the same. Evan was just as much of a person as anyone else. His age and size meant nothing when compared to his personality.

"Dad, what about this one?" He spoke with enthusiasm, pulling me out of my little thought process. "This one is cool!"

We were standing in front of a massive Western Red Cedar. On the ground were leaves strewn about. Some where fully in tact while others had been stepped on and snapped in pieces.

"Do you like this one, Evan?" I asked. "It's one of my favorites as well. It's called a western red cedar tree, and these trees can grow up to fifty feet tall. They're pretty wide around too, making them a very sturdy tree. Unfortunately, many of the trees get used for lumber, so they get cut down."

"Why do people cut them down?" His face fell.

"Well, some people think it is justified to cut down trees that really don't need to be cut down. Some trees are, I guess, necessary, but the way people are tearing them apart is just sick, Evan."

"I wouldn't cut a tree down. Ever." He vowed. "Promise."

I chuckled softly and gently squeezed his shoulder. "Good."

"So can I take some of these leaves, or is that bad because these trees are being cut down?" Evan asked before he reached down to grab a handful of leaves.

I crouched down on the ground so that I was sitting and looking at him. My hands trailed along a few leaves, running my fingers through their shapes and rough textures.

"These leaves are already off of the tree, so they aren't technically living anymore. It would in no way harm the tree if you were to take a few." I assured him.

Without another word, he began sorting through the leaves he liked, while he set the ones he didn't want to the side. Big and small, broken and perfect, he chose through the ones that were appealing to him.

Just then he shrieked "Caterpillar!"

"What do you mean 'caterpillar'?" I asked. "Do you see one?"

"Right there!" He pointed to the ground and sure enough there was a caterpillar.

The caterpillar was a brownish-burgundy color and was extremely fuzzy. His head was black and the area around his eyes was a somewhat creme color. Being only about the width of two adult fingers, he was quite small. Knowing that the caterpillar was a harmless breed, I had no problem when Evan began to pick it up and play with it.

It wiggled on his hands and even went into a little ball when he accidentally sneezed. Soon enough though, the little guy opened back up and began to squiggle onto Evan's arm. He laugh and giggled in contentment and I smiled at his happiness.

"Dad, can I keep him?" He pleaded between spurts of laughter. "Please? I'll take care of him, real good, I promise!"

How could I tell him no? Besides, it's not like it was something dangerous or large, it was just a small little caterpillar. I'm sure Bella wouldn't mind, and even if she did, it's not like it would stay a caterpillar for very long.

"Well, keep in mind he will turn into a butterfly soon. This type of caterpillar will turn into a Green Comma butterfly when he develops a little more. We'll have to make sure he has plenty to eat and that he has a place to put his cocoon."

I could see he was becoming more excited by the second. "So can I keep her?"

"Yes, you can keep him." I laughed.

"It's a her, not a him, Dad." He corrected me. "See, it's a girl." He pointed to the caterpillar in awe and watched as it moved along his skin.

Confused, I asked "How can you tell that it is a female?"

Evan rolled his eyes at what I said. "Because, it's beautiful. It looks pretty and nice and loving and girls are all of those things. So it's a girl. Get it?"

"Yes." I simply said. I really couldn't argue with his reasoning. Even with my knowledge, I couldn't just look at a caterpillar and know the gender. Then again, even if I could, I would never damper his spirit. If he thinks women and girls are beautiful, pretty, nice, and loving, then I want nothing more. All men should think that. Evan being a little boy was no different.

"I'm glad you understand." He simply said.

I chuckled. "So what is this little lady's name?"

Evan's eyebrows were scrunched together and his nose was slightly wrinkled. His little tongue poked through his lips as he concentrated on thinking of the perfect name. Just like that, a light must have gone off in his head because his face erupted in a grin and he took a deep breath.

"Her name is Katie."

Without another word, he began strolling into the house with his new friend. I shook my head in amazement and picked up the bag of leaves that were sitting on the ground. I was careful as not to damage any of Evan's 'treasure'.

Suddenly my phone rang in my pocket, so I reached down to grasp it. After seeing it was Bella that was calling me, I immediately hit the answer button and took the phone to my ear.

"Hello, love, how is Charlie doing?" I greeted her.

In a soft voice she replied with "Get Evan ready and bring him to the hospital."

**Thank you again for sticking with me. I'm extremely sorry for the delay, and really cannot explain why it's been so hard for me to get this chapter out. A new semester, more performances, my surgery, blah, blah, blah. Anyways, as always,**_ review for me and I PROMISE to review for you_**. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR TIME! (:**

**- Kywardbbyx21**


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